Co-Hydrolysis Of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibres By Commercial Cellulase And Crude Xylanase SOURCED FROM Aspergillus Niger USM SD2 AND Trichoderma Asperellum USM SD4 Towards Bio-Ethanol Production

Ketidak-gunaan pecahan xilosa tandan buah kosong kelapa sawit (OPEFB) adalah faktor pengehad utama terhadap penghasilan etanol OPEFB mampan. Kajian ini menilai ko-hidrolisis berenzim gentian OPEFB melalui sinergi antara xilanase mentah yang diperoleh daripada pencilan kulat terpilih dan selulase komersial (Celluclast 1.5L) untuk menyerlahkan fermentasi cekap gula glukosa dan xilosa untuk penghasilan etanol Non-utilization of the xylose fractions of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) is the main limiting factor in the production of sustainable OPEFB ethanol. This study assessed the co-enzymatic hydrolysis of OPEFB fibers through a synergy between crude hemicellulases sourced from selected fungal isolates and a commercial cellulose (Celluclast 1.5L) to enhance efficient fermentation of its glucose and xylose sugars for ethanol productio

Comparative Antibacterial Efficacy of <i>Vitellaria paradoxa</i> (Shea Butter Tree) Extracts Against Some Clinical Bacterial Isolates

The antibacterial activities of the ethanolic extracts of seed, leaf and stem bark of Vitellaria paradoxa were investigated. The extracts were tested against three clinical bacterial pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae using the agar diffusion and the broth dilution techniques. Ethanolic extracts of the plant parts showed activity against all the bacterial pathogens tested. At the highest extract concentration (200 mg/ml), the leaf extract exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity, while no activity was detected at the lowest concentration (3.13 mg/ml) against the tested isolates. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were more susceptible to all extracts of V. paradoxa, while Klebsiella pneumoniae showed the least sensitivity. The efficacy of ethanolic extracts of Vitellaria paradoxa was compared to a commercial antibiotic streptomycin. There were differences in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of all the Vitellaria paradoxa ethanolic extracts with respect to the type of organism. All extracts exhibited bacteriostatic effects against the tested organisms at the experimented concentrations. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of saponins, tannins and alkaloids as the active principles of Vitellaria paradoxa's antimicrobial activity. V. paradoxa could be used as a potential source of antibiotic substance for a drug development.</p

Comparative Antibacterial Efficacy of &lt;i&gt;Vitellaria paradoxa&lt;/i&gt; (Shea Butter Tree) Extracts Against Some Clinical Bacterial Isolates

The antibacterial activities of the ethanolic extracts of seed, leaf and stem bark of Vitellaria paradoxa were investigated. The extracts were tested against three clinical bacterial pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae using the agar diffusion and the broth dilution techniques. Ethanolic extracts of the plant parts showed activity against all the bacterial pathogens tested. At the highest extract concentration (200 mg/ml), the leaf extract exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity, while no activity was detected at the lowest concentration (3.13 mg/ml) against the tested isolates. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were more susceptible to all extracts of V. paradoxa, while Klebsiella pneumoniae showed the least sensitivity. The efficacy of ethanolic extracts of Vitellaria paradoxa was compared to a commercial antibiotic streptomycin. There were differences in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of all the Vitellaria paradoxa ethanolic extracts with respect to the type of organism. All extracts exhibited bacteriostatic effects against the tested organisms at the experimented concentrations. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of saponins, tannins and alkaloids as the active principles of Vitellaria paradoxa's antimicrobial activity. V. paradoxa could be used as a potential source of antibiotic substance for a drug development

Assessment of the Effect of Easily-metabolised Carbon Supplements on Xylanase Production by Newly Isolated Trichoderma asperellum USM SD4 Cultivated on Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches

Effect of lignocellulosic medium supplemented with selected easily-metabolised carbon sources on microbial xylanase production was assessed. A newly isolated oil-palm-waste-domesticated bio-agent-producing fungus, identified based on rRNA analysis as T. asperellum USM SD4 was used as a representative organism. The potential of T. asperellum for enhanced xylanase production was evaluated by the statistical optimization of important cultural parameters via response surface methodology (RSM). T. asperellum showed optimum xylanase activity at pH 7; temperature 27 °C; moisture content 4 mL growth medium (gm): 1 gram dried substrate (gds) and inoculum size 2 x 106 spores/mL. Xylanase activity (2,337 IU/gds) attained in this study was far higher than ever reported for T. asperellum. Using the set of optimum conditions, the mixture of supplementary sugars to the lignocellulosic medium initiated xylanase repression in a concentration-independent manner. However, the degree of repression depended on the nature and type of respectively added sugar. The repressive effect exerted by monosaccharides (xylose, glucose, and fructose) was greater than exerted by either of dimeric (cellobiose and sucrose) or polymeric (xylan) sugars. Of all added substrates, xylan exerted the least repressive effect. Using xylose as a representative sugar, mechanism of xylanase repression was decisively explained and supported with experimental data

Cellulase Production Potentials of the Microbial Profile of Some Sugarcane Bagasse Dumping Sites in Ilorin, Nigeria

This research work investigated cellulase production potentials of the microbial profile of three sugarcane bagasse dumping sites at Zango area, Ilorin, Nigeria. The microbial isolates were screened for cellulase production with a view to select the best organism for eventual cellulase production. Pour Plate method was used for the isolation and a total of thirteen (13) different organisms including both fungal and bacterial species were isolated and screened. Six (6) fungal isolates identified as Mucor racemosus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Neurospora sitophilus, Penicillium oxalicum and Penicillium citrinum were isolated, while seven (7) different bacterial species isolated include Clostridium cellobioparum, Clostridium thermocellum,Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumillus, Lactobacillus spp, Pseudomonas flavescens and Serratia spp. Generally, bacterial isolates were more in abundance than fungal species. However; fungal isolates were constant and were isolated through the experimental period of three weeks. All the isolates showed cellulase production potential in varying degrees as reflected in the clearance zone around their colonies. Fungal isolates produced more cellulase than the bacterial isolates. Mucor racemosus had the highest clearance zone (75.0 mm) among the fungal isolates while Clostridium cellobioparum (35.0 mm) were the best producer among bacterial isolates. The least producer among fungal isolates, Penicillium citrinum (40.0 mm), is a little more than the bacterial cellulase producer (35.0 mm) and is far greater than the least bacterium Serratia spp (14.0 mm)