Assessment of Microplastic Degrading Potential of Fungal Isolates from an Estuary in Rivers State, Nigeria

The potential of fungi as bio degraders of micro plastic particles was assessed using standard microbiological and Fourier transformed Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis methods. The highest mean Total Heterotrophic fungal (THF) count of 4.24x104 cfu/ml was obtained with the least THF (2.72x104 cfu/ml) recorded during the dry season. Mean hydrocarbon Utilizing Fungal (HUF) count was highest (1.78x104 cfu/ml) during the wet period while the least HUF count (1.46x104 cfu/ml) was recorded during the dry period. Spectra of FTIR showed that the water contained microplastic particles in these proportions; polyethylene of low density (LDPE) 0.01%, 0.11% protein, 0.15% polystyrene, 0.37% polyamide, 1.14% cellulose, 1.21% polyurethane, 1.90% polyvinyl chloride, 3.11% polyester and 92% polypropylene, respectively. Species of fungi identified were Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Aspergillus nidulans, Fusarium spp., Microsporum canis, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Among the fungal isolates, A. niger and A. fumigatus were most active in degrading the micro plastic (polypropylene) with mean % weight loss of 71.09% and 53.09%, respectively while the least active was Penicillium spp. with a mean % weight loss of 28.64% during the study period. The order of degradation was Aspergillus niger > A. fumigatus > A. nidulans > Fusarium spp. > Rhizopus spp. > Microsporum canis > Mucor spp. > Penicillium spp. The potential to degrade micro plastic particles by these fungi can be harnessed. The foremost active fungi degrading potentials are as follows: A. niger (71.1%) and A. fumigatus (53.1%). The study has shown that isolates of fungi from Ohiakwu River in Nigeria possess the ability to degrade micro plastic (polypropylene) particles. Therefore, this research is of tremendous importance for industrial development and additionally for future research purposes.

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Fungal Population and Physicochemical Characteristics of Abattoir-Impacted Soil in Iwofe, Rivers State

South Asian Journal of Research in Microbiology ◽

10.9734/sajrm/2021/v11i230249 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 36-44

Author(s):

Williams, Janet Olufunmilayo ◽

Owhorji, Gloria

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Physicochemical Characteristics ◽

Control Soil ◽

Fungal Population ◽

Candida Sp ◽

Fungal Isolates ◽

Fungal Load ◽

Microbiological Techniques ◽

Rivers State

Aim: To determine the fungal population and physicochemistry of abattoir impacted soil in Iwofe, Rivers State. Study Design: This study focused on Abattoir impacted soil. Statistical analysis of data and interpretation was carried out. Place and Duration of Study: Abattoir impacted soil was collected from three points in an abattoir located in Iwofe, Rivers State while the unpolluted soil which served as control was collected from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt in January, 2021. Methodology: Standard microbiological techniques were used: the fungal population was determined by inoculating aliquots of an appropriate dilution resulting from a ten-fold serial dilution on prepared Sabouraud dextrose agar plates in duplicates. Plates were later incubated for 3-5 days after which colonies were enumerated and used in obtaining the fungal population in the soil samples while distinct colonies were subcultured for macroscopic and microscopic identification of fungi. The physicochemical parameters and heavy metals were analyzed using standard methods. Results: Fungal load in the control and abattoir impacted soil were 1.09×105 and 3.9×104 CFU/g, respectively. The fungal load of the control soil was significantly higher (P˂0.05) than the abattoir impacted soil. The fungal isolates identified in the abattoir impacted soil were Microsporium sp, Aspergillus niger and Candida sp while Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium sp, Penicillium sp, Mucor sp and Rhizopus sp were identified from the control soil. The pH, temperature, nitrate and phosphate of the abattoir soil were 6.7, 28.33℃, 27.83(mgKg-1) and 1055(mgKg-1), respectively. The concentrations of Cadmium, Iron and Lead in the abattoir Impacted soil and control soil were 0.81, 563.35 and 7.12 mgKg-1, 0.51, 582.0 and 3.18 mgKg-1, respectively. The physico chemistry and heavy metals in the abattoir soil were within acceptable limits. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that heavy metals in abattoir impacted soil had an impact in the fungal population which led to the isolation of only three fungal isolates belonging to Microsporium sp, Candida sp and Aspergillus niger. More so, despite the presence of heavy metals in the abattoir impacted soil, the metals were all within permissible limits. Thus, the abattoir impacted soil was not heavily polluted.

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An investigation into the microbial infestation of poultry feeds

Journal of the Bangladesh Agricultural University ◽

10.3329/jbau.v13i1.28722 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 79-86

Author(s):

MM Rahman ◽

MS Islam ◽

MZ Alam ◽

M Ashrafuzzaman

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Aspergillus Flavus ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Fungal Population ◽

Fungal Flora ◽

Poultry Feeds ◽

Penicillium Spp ◽

Feed Samples

The Experiments were carried out during the period of July 2001 to December 2002. Infestation of poultry feeds by fungi and aflatoxins content in feeds were determined. Ten feed samples were collected from ten different farms located in three different areas of Bangladesh. Five different fungal species belonging four genera were detected which were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium spp, Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium spp. Among them Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were found in all the feed samples and the rest were occasionally found. Effect of storage and moisture content of feeds were studied for determining the influence on occurrence of fungal flora in feeds. Higher the storing period of feed along with higher moisture content resulted superior incidences of fungal population in stored feeds. Studied on storage practice with 4 duration of F1 sample revealed that the presence of aflatoxins were 30.52ppb, 33.36ppb, 37.32ppb and 48.35ppb of 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after production of feeds, respectively.J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 13(1): 79-86, June 2015

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Study of fungical conjunctival microbiota of students from the Health Sciences area of the Centro Universitário de Volta Redonda - UniFOA.

Cadernos UniFOA ◽

10.47385/cadunifoa.v2i3.867 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 129

Author(s):

Aurilio Garcia ◽

Jobson Bortot ◽

Marco Antônio Ferraz ◽

Lívia Mota ◽

Tassius Borsatto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Candida Albicans ◽

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Sabouraud Dextrose Agar ◽

Penicillium Spp

Os autores avaliaram o perfil da microbiota conjuntival fúngica de estudantes da área das Ciências da Saúde do Centro Universitário de Volta Redonda – UniFOA. Foram estudados 200 acadêmicos, sendo 100 pertencentes ao ciclo básico, com restrição ao ambiente hospitalar, e 100 do ciclo clínico, com efetivo contato. O material foi coletado do saco conjuntival e semeado em meio de cultura Sabouraud-dextrose-agar, e mantido em temperatura ambiente.As culturas foram positivas em 26 alunos, correspondendo a 13% do total examinado. Foram isolados os seguintes fungos: 7 (26,92%) Candida albicans, 5 (19,23%) Rhodotorula spp., 6 (23,07%) Penicillium spp., 3 (11,53%) Aspergillus niger, 3 (11,53%) Fusarium spp., e 2 (7,69%) Aspergillus fumigatus. Este resultado é compatível com a maioria dos estudos anteriores realizados por outros autores.

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Study of fungical conjunctival microbiota of students from the Health Sciences area of the Centro Universitário de Volta Redonda - UniFOA.

Cadernos UniFOA ◽

10.47385/cadunifoa.v2.n3.867 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 129-132

Author(s):

Aurilio Garcia ◽

Jobson Bortot ◽

Marco Antônio Ferraz ◽

Lívia Mota ◽

Tassius Borsatto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Candida Albicans ◽

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Sabouraud Dextrose Agar ◽

Penicillium Spp

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Microbiological Quality of Various Medicinal Herbal Teas and Coffee Substitutes

Microbiology Insights ◽

10.4137/mbi.s943 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. MBI.S943 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

V.H. Tournas ◽

E.J. Katsoudas

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Alternaria Alternata ◽

Microbiological Quality ◽

Fungal Contamination ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Herbal Tea ◽

Mesophilic Bacteria ◽

Colony Forming Units ◽

Penicillium Spp

Various herbal teas including German chamomile, Chrysanthemum Vascuflow herb tea, hop, jasmine and orange flowers, sweet marjoram, spearmint and thyme leaves, and papaya-mint tea as well as coffee substitutes (Bambu instant Swiss, Teeccino chocolate-mint, and Teeccino Mediterranean Espresso) were analyzed for fungal contamination and the presence of aerobic mesophilic bacteria (APC). The results of this investigation showed that fungal counts reached levels as high as 5.8 × 105 colony forming units (cfu) per gram. German chamomile harbored the highest fungal contamination. The most common fungi found in herbal teas were Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Eurotium rubrum, E. chevalieri, A. flavus, Fusarium spp., Alternaria alternata, and yeasts. Among the coffee substitutes, only the chocolate-mint coffee was contaminated with low numbers (<1.0 × 103 cfu g-1) of E. rubrum, Ulocladium spp. and Phoma spp., and with yeasts (< 100–6.8 × 103 cfu g-1). Aerobic mesophilic bacteria were recovered from 100% of the herbal tea, chocolate-mint and Mediterranean Espresso, and from 50% of the Bambu instant Swiss coffee samples. The highest APC counts of 1.2 × 107 cfu g-1 were observed in spearmint leaves.

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Mycofloral study of cultivated maize seed in district Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Plant Protection ◽

10.33804/pp.004.01.3249 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mehr -un-Nisa ◽

Mussadiq Hussain ◽

Basharat Mehmood ◽

Muhammad Tariq-Khan ◽

Hafiz Matee Rehman

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Pathogenic Fungi ◽

Maize Seed ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Jammu And Kashmir ◽

Maize Seeds ◽

Resistant Varieties ◽

Blotter Paper ◽

Penicillium Spp ◽

Paper Method

The current study was carried out on the prevalence of mycoflora associated with maize seeds using blotter paper method. Maize seed samples were collected from six different locations of district Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Objective of this study was to determine the fungi associated with maize seeds. A total of seven species of fungi were isolated. Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Fusarium spp., Fusarium oxysporum and Pythium spp., were identified. Davigali had the infection percentage of 72 % in all locations. Occurrence frequency and type of fungi isolated varied with location. Prevalence of pathogenic fungi with maize seeds of district Poonch was found variable. Resistant varieties of maize, maintaining temperature, relative humidity and their treatment is suggested to reduce disease and increase yield.

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Isolation of Keratinophilic Fungi from Soil in Khairpur City, Sindh, Pakistan

Bangladesh Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.3329/bjm.v24i1.1246 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 79-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Irshad Hussain Soomro ◽

Yasmeen Faiz Kazi ◽

Miandad Zardari ◽

Abdul Hussain Shar

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Distribution Pattern ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Keratinophilic Fungi ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Farm Land ◽

Prevalent Species ◽

Penicillium Spp ◽

Eleven Species

One hundred and twenty five soil samples were collected from five areas in the vicinity of Khairpur city, Sindh, Pakistan and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi by using hair bait technique. A total 253 isolates belonged to eight genera and eleven species of keratinophilic fungi were recovered. Maximum number (153/253, 60.5%) of keratinophilic fungi was recovered from farm land and poultry soils. Aspergillus niger was most prevalent species and represented 20.2% of the total number isolated. A. flavus and A. fumigatus were almost equal in their prevalence and represented 11.9 and 11.1%, respectively. Botrytis cinaria comes next constituting 9.9%; followed by Mucor spp. (9.1%) and Chochliobolus lunatus (8.3%). Other species isolated less frequently included Chrysosporum asperatum (5.9%), Fusarium spp. (5.1%), Penicillium spp. (3.1%) and A. wentii (2.4%). The distribution pattern of the different keratinophilic fungi and their significance are discussed.Keywords: Keratinophilic fungi, Prevalence, Keratinase, Hair bait techniqueDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjm.v24i1.1246 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 24, Number 1, June 2007, pp 79

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Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Assessment of Five Medicinal Plants Found in Terai Region

Nepal Journal of Science and Technology ◽

10.3126/njst.v13i2.7718 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 79-86

Author(s):

Sadhana Sah ◽

Ranjita Shrestha ◽

Sadikchya Koirala ◽

Keshab Bhattarai

Keyword(s):

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Petroleum Ether ◽

Methanol Extract ◽

Asparagus Racemosus ◽

Terminalia Chebula ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Methanol Extracts ◽

Hedychium Coronarium ◽

Penicillium Spp

Crude petroleum ether and methanol extracts of different parts of five medicinal plants collected from Terai region, namely, Asparagus racemosus, Catharanthus roseus, Hedychium coronarium, Mimosa pudica and Terminalia chebula were examined for their antimicrobial activity against different pathogenic microorganisms, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsella spp., Salmonella paratyphi, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium spp. and Penicillium spp. From the obtained growth curves of methanol extract of Terminalia chebula and petroleum ether and methanol extracts of Hedychium coronarium, it can be said these extracts have relatively high bacteriostatic property than other plant extracts. Similarly, the zone of inhibitions observed during antifungal assay by methanol extract of Terminalia chebula against Aspergillus niger, Fusarium spp. and Penicillium spp. are comparable to that of Itraconazole (antifungal drug). It shows that Terminalia chebula has fungistatic property. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids and glycosides. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 13, No. 2 (2012) 79-86 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v13i2.7718

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Analysis of ambient airborne mycoflora around Curzon hall campus, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Stamford Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.3329/sjm.v9i1.45656 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 32-35

Author(s):

Md Nazim Uddin ◽

Gulshan Ara Latifa ◽

Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder ◽

Shamim Shamsi ◽

Abdullah Al Nayeem

Keyword(s):

Potato Dextrose Agar ◽

Human Being ◽

Outdoor Air ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Fungal Isolates ◽

Penicillium Spp ◽

Indoor And Outdoor

The indoor and outdoor air is an important source of aeroallergens and pathogens. Monthly samplings were recorded during September to November 2018 to investigate the airborne mycoflora concentration in Curzon hall campus, University of Dhaka. The fungal colonies developed in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) media were isolated from four different locations in the morning, noon and evening in monthly intervals. A total number of counted fungal colonies were 2,681 in which 924, 928 and 829 colonies were found in the morning, noon and evening time, respectively. Among the identified fungi, Aspergillus spp. was one of the most predominant genera in all the stations over the study period followed by Penicillium spp. Alternaria spp., Curvularia spp., Fusarium spp., Rhizopus spp. and Trichoderma. The identified fungi belonged to eight genera under the class Ascomycetes, Zygomycetes and Deuteromycetes. Among the fungal isolates, Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Curvularia spp., Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp. and Rhizopus spp. were previously reported as pathogenic to plants and/or humans and strongly allergenic to human being. Stamford Journal of Microbiology, Vol.9(1) 2019: 32-35

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Fungi associated with onion (Allium cepa L.) fields in southern Puerto Rico

The Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico ◽

10.46429/jaupr.v88i1-2.2735 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 88 (1-2) ◽

pp. 55-72

Author(s):

Lorraine Vélez ◽

Lydia I. Rivera ◽

Rocío del P. Rodríguez ◽

Irma Cabrera

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rico ◽

Aspergillus Niger ◽

Allium Cepa ◽

Sclerotium Rolfsii ◽

Southern Region ◽

Fusarium Spp ◽

Disease Symptoms ◽

Allium Cepa L ◽

Common Genus ◽

Penicillium Spp

A survey was conducted in experimental and commercial onion (Allium cepa L.) fields in the southern region of Puerto Rico to isolate and identify fungi associated with this crop. Fungi were isolated from air, soil, and tissue from leaves and bulbs that showed typical disease symptoms. Commercial seeds from three onion cultivars commonly used in Puerto Rico were examined. Overall, Aspergillus niger was the fungus most frequently isolated from soil, bulbs and seeds. Fusarium spp. and Penicillium spp. were frequently isolated from air; A. niger, Fusarium and Cladosporium, from soil; and A. niger, Penicillium and Sclerotium rolfsii, from bulbs. In onion foliage, Alternaria was the most common genus, followed by Stemphylium and Nigrospora. In commercial onion seeds, A. niger and Rhizopus in combination were the most frequent.

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