Conversion of Agro-Wastes into Bio-Fertilizer by Anaerobic Digestion for Soil Fertility Enhancement

There is a continuous demand for bio-fertilizer to improve the soil fertility and increase food production. Wastes were collected from eateries, food canteens, domestic houses and agricultural outlets. Five experimental set-ups were made using different combinations of digested wastes as follows: pig waste (Pw), cassava wastes (Cw), food wastes (Fw); pig waste + cassava waste (Pw+Cw), pig waste + Food wastes (Pw+Fw). The slurry of each category of bio-product were prepared by addition of appropriate volume of water, incubated for 70days with intermittent agitation at regular intervals in the digester. The principal bacteria which took the most active role in the bioconversion process were identified to be P. aeruginosa and Bacillus spp. Comparative evaluation of each of the digested category of slurry combinations showed variations in their nitrogen content as follows: Pw (1.70± 0.03 mg/100g), Cw (0.61±0.02mg/100g), Fw (1.96±0.03mg/100g), Pw+Cw (1.20±0.01mg/100g), Pw+Fw (2.10± 0.02mg/100g). Pw+Fw showed highest K, P and Mg concentrations as 66.72± 2.36 mg/100g, 143.36± 2.36 mg/100g and 53.34±2.36 mg/100g respectively.The elemental composition in the increasing order in each of the slurry waste as follows: Cw<Fw< Pw <Pw+Cw<Pw+Fw There were shifts in the pH which could be due to metabolic activities and microbial interaction between the soil, other its component and added digested waste. The best performance in mineral content and plant growth noticed in Pw+Fw could be due to the nearness to neutrality of its pH

Microbial-based biofortification to mitigate African micronutrients deficiency: A focus on plant-based fermentation as source of B-group vitamins

Micronutrient deficiency is a form of malnutrition responsible for different metabolic diseases, widely shared among developing low-and middle-income African countries. While deficiencies of calcium, iron, vitamin A, zinc, and selenium have been counteracted mainly by implementing mandatory food fortification programs, little attention was given so far on strategies to decrease inadequate intake of water-soluble B-group vitamins. In this review, we summarize the physiological role of B-group vitamins, and discuss the approaches commonly used to tackle their deficiencies in Africa, namely (i) dietary diversification, (ii) supplementation, and (iii) fortification, with the main focus being here the microbial-based biofortification of food. We report the increasing evidence of plant-based African fermented foods as important sources of these vitamins and how microbial-based biofortification strategies may enhance their content and bioavailability during plant-based fermentation, especially seen for folate (vitamin B9), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and cobalamin (vitamin B12). The selection of pro-technological functional microbial strains from spontaneous fermentation and/or unconventional food matrices, the employment of vitamin overproducing lactic acid bacteria, as well as the implementation of adequate food processes are promising tools that could be implemented in the production of staple home-made fermented foods to counteract B-group vitamins deficiencies. Further research is needed to explore the biotechnological potential of underexploited indigenous microbial strains and the impact of fortified foods on gut host health.ISSN:2212-4306ISSN:2212-429