Isolation, Identification and Classification of Contaminating Microbes at an Ibadan-Based Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume V, Issue III, January 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Isolation, Identification and Classification of Contaminating Microbes at an Ibadan-Based Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory

 Adeye Joseph Ademola Oluwaferanmi1, Afolayan Adedotun Onoyinka1, 2*, Aladele Sunday Ezekiel2, Jamaleddine Zainab Olubunmi2
1Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria (Ibadan Study Centre)
2Tissue Culture Unit, Biotechnology Department, National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Moor Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author

Abstract:-Microbial contamination in laboratories is a serious problem worldwide and characterization of these contaminants is imperative for achievement of successful in vitro research activities for immeasurable and unquantifiable agro-economic benefits. Literatures have shown that there is an ongoing effort(s) to identify the various groups of microbial contaminants within the plant cultures in mosttissue culture laboratories. Thus, this study has been designed to isolate, identify and classify the contaminating microbes at an Ibadan-based Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory. Established but contaminated cultures of different crop species were collected over a period of four weeks, from February 1st to 28th, 2019. And from these, isolation of pure microbial cultures was carried out based on their morphological differences and where colony form, elevation, pigmentation and size were used to distinguish bacteria and fungi contaminants. Also, specific microbes were further authenticated using differential and selective media and isolated fungi were identified using microscopic observations of size, and shape. The results showed that the contaminating microbes are of different types. Themacroscopic and microscopic observations of fungi confirmed presence of Cladosporium sp, Penicillium sp, Aspergillus sp and Alternaria sp while the persistent bacteria identified were Shigella sp, Pseudomonasaeruginosa, Corynebacteria sp, Bacillus sp and Staphylococci aureus. The contaminants were similar to standard strains but there was a significant difference in contamination. It is concluded that despite disinfection with sodium hypochlorite, the bacterial and fungal contaminants persist in micropropagation culture media and there is need to either increase the concentration of the disinfectant or change the disinfectant to a different one.
Keywords: micro-propagation, plant tissue culture, bacteria, fungi, contaminants.

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