Identification of Antioxidants Producing Bacteria from Sediment of River Benue Jimeta

Antioxidants play a critical role in counteracting free radicals within our body, preventing or slowing down cell damage caused by these unstable molecules. Oxidative stress occurs when there’s an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body's antioxidant defense system. ROS can harm DNA, proteins, lipids and other cellular components, leading to various diseases like cancer, aging and atherosclerosis. Microorganisms from sediment shows promise in producing antioxidants, prompting interest in there study as potential substitute for antibiotics and in the development of anti-aging anti-cancer, anti-viral drugs. This study aims to identify antioxidants producing bacteria from sediment of River Benue Jimeta. 10 bacteria were isolated and characterized using morphological biochemical methods, including test for catalase, citrate and oxidase. Further assessment using FRAP and DPPH assays revealed that some isolates such as Micrococcus Luteus and Streptococcus pneumonia demonstrated higher antioxidant capacity compared to others like Streptococcus Mutans which exhibited lower antioxidant capacity in the FRAP test. In the DPPH Scavenging Assay, Streptococcus Mutans and Streptococcus pneumonia showed higher antioxidant activities while Staphylococcus Epidermis and Bacillus Cereus displayed lower antioxidant activity among the isolates.