ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIOLOGICAL COMPOSITION OF SOME SELECTED VEGETABLES LEAVES SOLD IN MARKETS

Vegetables are an essential dietary source of nutrients and fiber for the health and wellbeing of human beings. The demand for vegetables has increased substantially in recent years. However, research has linked vegetable consumption with various pathogenic bacteria that are of public health concern. The present study was designed to isolate and identify the bacteriological composition of fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf commonly sold at various markets in Kogi State. These bacteria were studied using standard microbiological methods. The serial dilution method was employed. The result shows that the three samples of vegetables collected from different vendors contain the microbial load. Bitter leaf has the higher bacteria load, followed by pumpkin leaf with a moderate bacteria load, while scent leaf has the lowest plate count. The bacteria isolated are pseudomonas species, Bacillus, Erwinia spp, streptococcus. The sample contains an unacceptable number of bacteria recommended by the world health organization. Therefore, to safeguard the health of the final consumer, there should be proper washing of vegetables with clean water and disinfect the bacteria with sodium chloride(salt).

Vegetables are an essential dietary source of nutrients and fiber for the health and wellbeing of human beings. The demand for vegetables has increased substantially in recent years. However, research has linked vegetable consumption with various pathogenic bacteria that are of public health concern. The present study was designed to isolate and identify the bacteriological composition of fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf commonly sold at various markets in Kogi State. These bacteria were studied using standard microbiological methods. The serial dilution method was employed. The result shows that the three samples of vegetables collected from different vendors contain the microbial load. Bitter leaf has the higher bacteria load, followed by pumpkin leaf with a moderate bacteria load, while scent leaf has the lowest plate count. The bacteria isolated are pseudomonas species, Bacillus, Erwinia spp, streptococcus. The sample contains an unacceptable number of bacteria recommended by the world health organization. Therefore, to safeguard the health of the final consumer, there should be proper washing of vegetables with clean water and disinfect the bacteria with sodium chloride(salt). In Nigeria, varieties of vegetables,including fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf,are hugely available in the local markets and constitute a severe business for some people(Ibeawuchi et al., 2015). The intricacyassociated with the distribution of fresh horticultural produce in the local markets could significantly account for the contamination risk of vegetables. Harvesting, processing, and transportation of the products represent critical steps in the distribution of vegetables. Perhaps, the variations in these processes could lead to too many accidentally contaminated vegetables being sold in the market. Thus, this study aims to isolate and identify some selected vegetable leave (fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf) sold in the local markets in Kogi State.

Collection of Sample
Fresh leaves of fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf were purchased from the open market,placed in separate sterile plastic bags,and conveyed to the laboratory for microbial analysis.

Isolation and identification of bacteria
Pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the vegetables using a serial dilution agar plate using the method described by Ruangpan and Tendencia (2004).Biochemical tests such as catalase test, coagulate test, indole test, and sugar fermentation test was carried out to identify bacterial isolates using the methods described by Cheesbrough (2005). The table above shows the standard plate count of bacteria colonies isolated from the vegetables (fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf).

Discussion:-
The current study was conducted to isolate and identify the bacteriological composition of fluted pumpkin, bitter leaf, and scent leaf soldin the market. The samples (pumpkin, bitter leaf, scent leaf) were subjected to bacteria load and isolate identification. The result showed that the produces are influenced by several pathogenic microorganisms. Sample A (pumpkin) has a moderate bacterium count of 2.6x10 4, while sample B (bitter leaf) has the highest count of 3.0x10 4, and sample C (scent leaf) has the lowest count of 2.

Conclusion:-
This study detected the profile of bacteria that caused pathogenicity of some vegetables. It also showed that bacteria were involved in the spoilage of many vegetables. Mechanical injuries such as bruises or cuts during harvesting or post-harvesting, grading, and packing could provide infection sites for spoilage pathogens.Thus, it is recommended that proper handling of the product is crucial in mitigating pathogenic bacterial contamination.