African Journal of
Microbiology Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Microbiol. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0808
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJMR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 5195

Full Length Research Paper

Identification of intestinal microbiota and microbiological quality of the king weakfish (Macrodon ancylodon)

Rafaela Cristina Barata Alves
  • Rafaela Cristina Barata Alves
  • Food Science and Technology, Graduate Program in Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pará (Universidade Federal do Pará), UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Hamilton Mendes Figueredo
  • Hamilton Mendes Figueredo
  • Prof. Dr., School of Food Engineering, Institute of Technology, UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Rafaela Santos Oliveira da Silva
  • Rafaela Santos Oliveira da Silva
  • School of Food Engineering, Institute of Technology, UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil.
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Lucia de Fatima Henriques Lourenco
  • Lucia de Fatima Henriques Lourenco
  • Food Science and Technology, Graduate Program in Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pará (Universidade Federal do Pará), UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Erastus Mwaringa Mwadondo
  • Erastus Mwaringa Mwadondo
  • Department of Zoology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Amanuel Ghilamicael
  • Amanuel Ghilamicael
  • Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology P. O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Amos Ematiti Alakonya
  • Amos Ematiti Alakonya
  • Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology P. O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Remmy Wekesa Kasili
  • Remmy Wekesa Kasili
  • Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology P. O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar


  •  Received: 30 April 2016
  •  Accepted: 30 June 2016
  •  Published: 07 August 2017

Abstract

The king weakfish (Macrodon ancylodon) has a wide geographic distribution in South America and provides a positive economic outlook for the fishing industry in Brazil. The present study aimed to identify the intestinal microbiota and bacterial strains that can increase during storage of the king weakfish. Characterization of the microbiological quality was performed on samples to identify the microflora through isolation on culture media and identification using BD BBL kits for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The growth of isolated strains was tested at conventional storage temperatures of 7 and 3°C used to limit the expansion of pathogenic bacteria populations. All king weakfish samples were within the limits established by Brazilian law for microbiological standards. Twenty strains that were isolated from the intestinal microbiota of M. ancylodon were identified; five stood out and may play a role in the safety and/or shelf-life of this fish species: Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. urealyticum, Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Corynebacterium sp. However, only the first two strains showed significant growth at 3°C after three days of storage, mainly B. cepacia which is also considered an opportunistic pathogen.

Key words: King weakfish, intestinal microbiota, opportunistic pathogen, shelf-life.

Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

Back to Vol. 11 No. 29
Back to articles
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS
SUBMIT MANUSCRIPT
CONFERENCES