ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS WATER AND METHANOLIC EXTRACT ON ISOLATES OF DATE FRUIT-TIGERNUT DRINKS SOLD IN DELTA STATE.

Abstract

Date fruit-Tiger nut drink is a highly nutritious traditional drink. Samples of tiger nut and date fruits were collected from some cities in the three senatorial districts of Delta State: Delta North (Asaba and Agbor); Delta South (Oleh and Warri); and Delta Central (Sapele and Abraka). Phytochemical analysis of lemon grass water extract gave the following results: glycoside, 11.78mg/g; phenols: 121.16mg/g; flavonoids, 43.16mg/g; tannins, 18.47mg/g; and terpenoids, 8.43mg/g; while it was: alkaloids, 31.00mg/g; steroids, 17.00mg/g; saponins, 28.43mg/g; flavonoids, 37.36mg/g; tannins, 14.47mg/g; terpernoids, 12.11mg/g; and phenol, 138mg/g for lemon grass methanolic extracts. The bacteria isolated from the drinks were identified as Beta protoebacterium species, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Erwinia chrysanthemi strains by biochemical and molecular characterization. Lemon grass methanolic extract inhibited growth of organisms at 60 and 80(mg/ml) concentrations while lemon grass water extract did not inhibit the growth of the organisms at the various concentrations used. A proximate analysis of the
Date fruit-Tiger nut drink at intervals of 48hours during treatment with lemon grass methanolic extract showed significant (P<0.05) reductions in carbohydrate (80.64 mg/ml +2.82 to 62.59 mg/ml +4.48), protein (13.46 mg/ml +0.57 to 4.17 mg/ml +0.97) , fat (3.30 mg/ml +0.98 to 1.00 mg/ml +0.40), Crude fibre (14.06 mg/ml +0.32 to 7.40 mg/ml +2.42) and Ash (5.18 mg/ml +0.04 to 5.03 mg/ml+0.05). Moisture contents significantly (P<0.05) increased from (4.2 mg/ml+0.19 to 4.94 mg/ml +0.09). Retarded deterioration of date fruit-tiger nut drink was indicated therefore, methanolic extract can be potentially useful for the preservation of date fruit-tiger nut drink