Mass human starvation is currently likely if global agricultural production is dramatically reduced for several years following a global catastrophe: e.g. super volcanic eruption, asteroid or comet impact, nuclear winter, abrupt climate change, super weed, extirpating crop pathogen, super bacterium, or super crop pest. This study summarizes the severity and probabilities of such scenarios, and provides an order of magnitude technical analysis comparing caloric requirements of all humans for f...
ABSTRACT This study explores the use of lactic acid bacteria from fresh salad vegetables to inhibit fungal growth. The antifungal assay was done using the agar well diffusion method as reported by Schillinger and Lucke (1989). The largest zone of inhibition (25mm) was recorded by the antagonistic activity of the isolate identified to Lactobacillus plantarum against Candida albicans ATCC 90029. No activity was recorded against Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019, C. valida UCH 1508, C. pseudotrop...
Abstract The metabarcoding of prokaryotic and fungal (Ascomycota only) ribosomal DNA was used to describe the microbial communities in soils of a remnant equatorial rainforest, maize–bean intercrop, and sugarcane in western Kenya. Cropping systems influenced the microbial community composition and functional traits (energy source and nutrient cycling) of bulk soil in each crop. Microbial richness and diversity tended to increase with cultivation intensity. The soil of the maize–bean inte...
ABSTRACT Ganoderma polypore species are hard, leathery poroid mushrooms that lack the distinct stipe. They are a unique group of fungi usually ignored by most fungi enthusiasts because of their typical inedibility, unfamiliar habitat and general opacity. In addition to their traditional use, contemporary research has suggested many applications for cancer treatment and boosting of the immune system. Due to increase in bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics infectious diseases have ...
ABSTRACT Washed, sliced and oven-dried whole sweet potato tubers (Iponwea batatas) of the local variety wcre milled and supplemented with a mineral salts solution containing (g litre) glucose, 5; (NH4)2SO4 1.5; KH2PO4, 1.5; MgS04 0.05; Yeast extract, 0.05 and fermented at 30C for 72 hr by solid siate fermentation (SSF) using Neurospora sitophila, Aspergillus niger, Candida ulilis and Saccharomyces warum. i tbe end of the fermentation period A.niger gave the highest protein content of 11.8%, D...
Food industry wastes are an essential environmental contamination source. A large number of microorganisms including bacteria, yeast and fungi produce different types of enzymes like protease, lipase, chitinase, chitosan and ligninolytic enzyme having high biotechnological interest such as food processing, detergent, textile, pharmaceutical products, and medical therapy. Microbial synthesis of enzymes has been reported to be influenced by various factors such as carbon sources, nitrogen sourc...
Abstract: The performance of entomopathogenic fungi in pest control is usually affected by both biotic and abiotic factors. This study aimed to determine the effects of various temperatures (15, 20, 25 and 30 ◦C) on conidial germination, mycelial growth and conidial density and virulence to the melon fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae of three selected isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae. The three isolates, ICIPE 18, ICIPE 30 and ICIPE 69, had previously been selected in laboratory bioassays. Perce...
Abstract Aim: To screen the Kenyan Ganoderma lucidum for phytochemicals and to investigate it's potential in the management of some disease-causing microbes. Study Design: Hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extraction; phytochemical study and anti-microbial activities were analysed on Kenyan G. lucidum mushroom. Place and Duration of Study: Masinde Muliro University Science laboratories from January 2019 and March 2019. Methodology: Sequential extraction of dried samples was done using hexan...
ABSTRACT The East African Camphor (Ocotea), a canopy tree species and an important component of Chome Nature Reserve (CNR)which used to occupy more than 50% of the forest canopy is seriously declining in density. Although the species is illegally logged for timber, the main concern of ecologists is the declining regeneration and death of individuals in all age classes. Increasing selective logging and tree cutting for fuel wood are implicated to impair recovery of Camphor forests by changing ...
ABSTRACT Petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) are common site contaminants, but they are not generally regulated as hazardous wastes. TPH refers not only to analytical results, but also to environmental and health properties of PHCs. Biodegradation by natural populations of microorganisms represents one of the primary mechanisms by which petroleum and other hydrocarbon pollutants can be removed from the environment and is cheaper than other remediation technologies. The environmental implication as...
Abstract: Cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora, is a major cowpea pest. Cowpea–cereal intercrop alone does not effectively manage the pest. Use of pesticides in intercrop leads to health and environmental risks. Fungal-based biopesticides offer a better option because they are environment- and consumer-friendly. This study assessed the combined effect of Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 62 and cowpea–maize intercrop against A. craccivora under six treatments: (1) untreated cowpea monocrop, (2) unt...
Abstract: Microbial proteases are hydrolytic enzymes that are widely used in many industrial processes. This study aimed to evaluate the production of alkaline protease (AP) from fungal isolates sourced from avocado (Persea americana Mill.) peel (AVP) and avocado seed (AS) under solid state fermentation (SSF). AVP and AS was collocated form Harar juice house into plastic bag and serial diltuion method was used for fungal isolatin. The isolates were subutured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and...
The antimicrobial activities of the ethanolic, Aqueous and Ethyl acetate extracts of five Nigerian medicinal plant used as chewing sticks were tested against five microorganism, three bacteria and two fungi. The five medicinal plant tested are Vitellaria paradoxa, Vitex doniana, Sarcorcephalus latiolia, Vernonia amygdalina, Olax subcorpidica and the microorganisns are Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria sieca, Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus salivarius and Actinomycetes viscosus. Out of t...
Abstract The study aimed at producing amylase from corn stem using Mucor and Fusarium in solid state fermentation. The Fungi used in this study were isolated from the rhizosphere of the corn plant. Solid state technique was adopted for the fermentation process using spore suspension as inoculum. Various fermentation parameters such as incubation days, addition of salt supplement, substrate concentration, mycelia suspension and temperature were optimized during fermentation with these organ...
ABSTRACT Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemongrass due to its lemon fragrance when crushed. Due to the presence of many phytochemicals in lemongrass, their use in the treatment of illnesses has increased. The antimicrobial activity of Cymbopogoncitratus (Lemongrass) was evaluated on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pyogenes and Candida albicans. The extract was obtained using two solvents; ethanol and methanol. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was test...