Evaluation of Lactobacillus spp. isolated from locally consumed probiotic food in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria for antimicrobial activity utilizing agar well diffusion and pH tolerance tests

Dinebari P. Berebon; Kenneth C. Ofokansi; Anthony A. Attama; Christopher O. Eze; Restus C. Onwusoba; Chukwudi T. Ugwu; Charity C. Eze; Somtochukwu A. Evurani

doi:10.5897/AJB2019.16924

African Journal of
Biotechnology

Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
Language: English
ISSN: 1684-5315
DOI: 10.5897/AJB
Start Year: 2002
Published Articles: 12496

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of Lactobacillus spp. isolated from locally consumed probiotic food in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria for antimicrobial activity utilizing agar well diffusion and pH tolerance tests

Dinebari P. Berebon

Dinebari P. Berebon
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Kenneth C. Ofokansi

Kenneth C. Ofokansi
Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Anthony A. Attama

Anthony A. Attama
Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Christopher O. Eze

Christopher O. Eze
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Restus C. Onwusoba

Restus C. Onwusoba
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Chukwudi T. Ugwu

Chukwudi T. Ugwu
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Charity C. Eze

Charity C. Eze
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Somtochukwu A. Evurani

Somtochukwu A. Evurani
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
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Article Number - 6B51AB362476
Vol.18(32), pp. 1091-1097 , December 2019
https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB2019.16924

Received: 29 July 2019
Accepted: 03 October 2019
Published: 31 December 2019

Abstract

Antimicrobial activity against entero-pathogens and tolerance to acid stress are crucial characters of probiotic bacteria. Lactobacillus spp. isolates were phenotypically characterized using colony observation, catalase test and Gram stain reaction. The pH (1.5, 2.5 and 3.5) tolerance of each isolate was evaluated at 0 and 4 h. The antibacterial activities of the isolates were tested against pathogenic strains of Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. Among the isolates screened, 20 were Gram positive and catalase negative. In an agar well diffusion, isolate O₄ resulted in the highest inhibition zone diameter, 13 mm against P. aeruginosa while isolates OK₄, UK_1,P₂, P₃ and P₄did not produce any inhibition zones against any of the pathogens tested. Isolate Y₁ showed the broadest inhibitory activity against the pathogens tested inhibiting all the pathogens tested except S. typhimurium. The pH tolerability studies showed that the isolates proliferated more at lower acidic pH: 1.5 > 2.5 > 3.5. Food products containing Ogiri, Ukpaka, Okpeye, Akamu and Yoghurt provides useful sources of probiotic bacteria.