ABSTRACT

The study investigated microbial contamination of four samples of Solanum macrocarpon leaves commonly known Garden egg leaves (unwashed, washed and washed with different salt concentration). The objective was to isolate and identify microorganisms present on the vegetable before washing (unwashed), after washing with sterile water and also in brine (the leaves wholly immersed in water and different salt concentration for 15 seconds), the possible causes of contamination, as well as to investigate the presence of pathogen that may constitute a public health hazard from the consumption of the vegetable. The vegetable samples were obtained from Eke.Awka Market from four different vendors under aseptic conditions (in sterile plastic bags to eliminate cross contamination) and transported to the laboratory of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka within 30.40 mins of collection. Nutrient agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar were used in the study as culture media, while pour plate techniques involving laying of sample in the poured media was employed. The samples were qualitatively analyzed by microbiologically analysis which involved identification of the isolates using different biochemical analysis with the following results for bacteriological analysis: Bacillus sp, Escherichia sp and Staphylococcus sp.for unwashed, Staphylococcus sp and Enterobacter spfor washed and washed vegetables with different salt concentration (2.5%, 5% and 7.5% NaCl) showed the presence of Pseudomonas sp, Bacillus sp, Micrococcus spand Enterococcus sp. The mold detected were Mucor sp, Penicillum sp, Rhizopus sp, Aspergillus sp and Fusarium sp.Yeast were also detected. Fusarium sp were detected in washed samples with salt concentration of 5% and 7.5% because they are halotolerant but the growth can be much more inhibited at a higher salt concentration, while mucor sp, Penicillum spand were detected in unwashed samples and yeast were detected in washed samples.