Adebolu T. T, Ihunweze B. C. and Onifade A. K.
The antibacterial activity of the microorganisms is olated from the liquor of fermented maize “ogi” (Zea mays Linn.), subjected to continuous natural fermentatio n at 30+ 2 0 C for 72h on some diarrhoeal bacteria was evaluated in this study using agar diffusion as say. The test bacteria used are Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium. The bioactive metabolites responsible for the antibacterial activity of the i solates on the test organisms were also evaluated. Three microorganisms were isolated and identified from th e fermented liquor; these are Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The lactobacilli isolated inhibited the growth of all the test organisms with L. plantarum exerting greater effect. S. cerevisiae, on the other hand, did not inhibit the growth of any of the test bacteria. The growth inhibition mediated by the lactobacilli is due to the synergistic activity of biometabolit es; organic acid, hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocin produced by them on E. coli, S. dysenteriae and S. typhimurium and the synergistic effect of organic acid, bacteriocin but to a lesser degree, h ydrogen peroxide on S. aureus . This work has been able to show that the growth inhibition mediated by the fermented liquor on the test organisms is attributable to the presence of bioactive metabolit es such as organic acid, hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocin produced by L. brevis and L. plantarum present in the liquor.
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