Microbiological Analysis of Garden Egg

ABSTRACT Garden egg fruit is also an important nutritive plant but a very perishable vegetable with a short shelf-life. It is susceptible to bacteria diseases and if the fruit touches the ground, it will cause an infection. Also, a lot of other bacteria pathogens are transmitted from the farm along with the fruits to the would-be consumers. The aim of this study is to determine the characterization of bacteria and fungi associated with garden egg. The result shows the Morphological count for 0 days. 228 Sfu– 492Sfu was observed in garden egg sample grown on potato dextrose agar. While 26 cfu – 228 cfu was observed in garden egg sample grown on nutrient agar. The result also shows the Morphological count for day 7. 96 Sfu – 80 Sfu was observed in garden egg sample grown on potato dextrose agar. While 96 cfu – 64 cfu was observed in garden egg sample grown on nutrient agar. The morphological feature of the garden egg sample showed diversities in colonial formation. Circular, irregular and rod like shape was observed in the incubated plate. Creamy, white and some later showed colorless colonial coloration in the incubated plate. Some of the plate was opaque while others were transparent. Majority of the plate showed scattered growth pattern. The microbial isolated from the freshly harvested garden egg were Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus Lichenformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquifaciens, Bacillus marcerans and Bacillus circulans using API characterization. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the organisms isolated from the garden egg samples obtained in Ikere metropolis showed that the Bacillus isolates were 100 % resistant to all the antibiotics evaluated (Ceftazidime, Ceftriaxone, Cefuroxime, Ciprofloxacin, Ceporex, Cefuroxine, Azithromycin, Levofloxacin, Cinoxacin and Enoxacin). The present study showed that pathogenic bacteria of public concerns are harbored and transmitted through garden eggs sold in the market and that the water sprinkled on the fruits to keep their freshness might be responsible for the multiplication of some bacteria during the long time of transporting them from the farm to the market.