Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology

Response of Organic Fertilizer on Different Varieties of Okra for Growth and Yield Traits

Adewusi, O.F — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Okra is generally a self-pollinating crop belonging to the family Malvaceae. The increasing global demand for okra necessitates improved cultivation practices to enhance yield, quality and sustainability that can actually sustain the teeming, growing populace. This study was carried out on the “Evaluation of different organic fertiliser sources on agronomic growth performance and yield in okra varieties Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench. The study aimed to determine the effect of moringa leaf extract, cow dung, bio-fertiliser and the combined organic fertilisers on agronomic growth performance and yield of okra varieties. The fifteen okra varieties utilised for this study were obtained from the okra germplasm collection at the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Department of Plant Genetic Resources, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The experiment was a pot experiment whereby the okra varieties were subjected to 5 treatments, which comprise Treatment 1 (Control), Treatment 2 (Moringa leaf extract), Treatment 3 (Cow dung), Treatment 4 (Bio-fertiliser) and Treatment 5 (Combined fertiliser application). The experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm, Obakekere, Federal University of Technology, Akure. Data were collected on twelve agronomic characters. The application of combined fertiliser was found to greatly influence the rate of growth and yield of the okra varieties, followed by application of bio-fertiliser, followed by application of moringa leaf extract and application of cow dung for all the characters studied. Varieties NGB00466, NGB00380, NGB00322, NGB00305, NGB00342 and NGB00323 were found to be outstanding in terms of number of fruits, total fruit yield and individual fruit weight, irrespective of the type of fertiliser applied. Variety NGB00380 recorded the highest number of fruits. The study shows that the use of organic fertilizer in crop production is desirable as it has a variable impact on the growth and yield of okra and also improve soil organic status, it is also inexpensive, environmentally safe and will not in any way has adverse effect on human health due to the fact that there is no likelihood of any residual property of the organic fertilizer in the crop being used for the production. It can also be shown clearly that the unnecessary additional cost incurred in the cost of the production of okra because of spending on inorganic fertiliser can be eliminated or avoided by solely utilising organic manure from plant and animal sources for okra production.

Physicochemical and Nutritional Characterization of a Post-Operative Beverage Formulated with Rice Milk, Soy Milk, Doum Extract and Lemon Juice Harvested from Benoué Valley in Cameroon

Junias Paki, Charles Touwang, Jean Paul Bayang, Pierre Biyanzi — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Liquid diets are used temporarily after illness or surgery to provide easily absorbable nutrients, maintain hydration, and support recovery, but they may lack sufficient protein, fiber, and micronutrients if poorly balanced. In northern Cameroon, many postoperative patients cannot access commercial nutritional products, leaving families to manage nutrition without adequate knowledge of high-quality liquid diets. The objective of this study was to formulate a liquid food with high nutraceutical potential using rice (Oriza sativa) milk, soy (Glycine max) milk, doum (Hyphaene thebaïca) extract, and lemon (Citrus limon) juice. Twelve porridges were formulated using a simplex design with constraints. The physicochemical profiles of the most popular beverages and a traditional porridge (BT) regularly consumed were compared. The results show that porridges B12 (45%, 35%, 10%, 10%) and B6 (40%, 30%, 20%, 5%) were the most accepted. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the measured parameter values. The BT porridge stood out with a pH of 2.5, while porridges B12 and B6 had pH values of 5.5 and 5, respectively. The B12 mixture had higher levels of protein (9.48±0.08%), carbohydrates (37.01±0.01%), and fat (6.25±0.6%), with an energy value of 245.23±7.56 kcal/100 ml. Similarly, its Ca and Mg contents were the highest, at 66.02 ± 0.07 mg/100 g and 22.99 ± 0.08 mg/100 g, respectively. Porridge B6 showed higher levels of vitamin A (3.06±0.02 μg RE/100 g) and vitamin C (16.87±0.05 μg EAA/100 g). The B12 beverage stood out for its higher polyphenol (184.17 ± 2.61 mgEAG/100g) and tannin (8.87 ± 0.05 mgEC/100g) content compared to those of B6 and BT. The flavonoid content, however, was highest in B6 at 54.46 ± 0.46 mgE/100g. Drinks B12 and B6 appear to be sources of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. Optimizing the ratio of the various components is necessary to improve nutrient absorption while preserving the antioxidant and functional properties of the formulated drinks.

Fermented Fruit Peels for Sustainable Biotechnological Applications

Aminu Argungu Umar, Isah Musa Fakai, Ibrahim Shehu, Zainab Saidu Salah — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A new and environmentally viable approach towards recycling fruit waste is the valorisation through fermentation that could yields a multipurpose liquid called eco-enzyme (EE) or garbage enzyme. This study aimed to provide an insight on the multienzyme, antibacterial and antioxidant potentials of fermented fruit peels solutions produced using pineapple, orange, and watermelon peels. To achieve this, each of the pineapple, orange, and watermelon peels were fermented individually by mixing with water and brown sugar in a ratio of 3:1:10 (fruit peel: brown sugar: water) for 3 months. After 3 months of fermentation, the solutions were filtered and evaluated for their enzymatic, antibacterial, and antioxidant attributes. All the Eco-enzyme solutions exhibited amylase, cellulase, pectinase and protease enzyme activities. Also, all the eco-enzyme solutions inhibited the growth of all the test bacteria, with pineapple peel-derived eco-enzyme solution being the most active in inhibiting the growth of all the tested bacterial strains. All the eco-enzyme solutions produced in this study, showed strong antioxidant properties of 73.21%, 69.37%, 60.09%, and 82.71 for pineapple peels eco-enzyme solution, orange peel eco-enzyme solution, watermelon peels eco-enzyme solution, and mixed fruit peels eco-enzyme solution respectively at 100 ppm. Mixed fruit peels eco-enzyme solution showed the highest amylase activity of 38.75 U/mL, orange peel eco-enzyme has the highest cellulase and pectinase activities of 61.26 U/mL and 62.15 U/mL respectively. Pineapple peel eco-enzyme has the highest protease activity of 79.29 U/mL. Also, all the eco-enzyme solutions inhibited the growth of all the test bacteria, with Staphylococcus aureus exhibiting more sensitivity to all the eco-enzyme solutions compared to other tested bacterial strains. The zone of inhibitions observed against Staphylococcus aureus 18±0.12, 21±0.23, and 19±0.15 for pineapple peels eco-enzyme solution, orange peel eco-enzyme solution, and watermelon peels eco-enzyme solution respectively. The fermented solutions exhibited multienzyme potentials, broad-spectrum antibacterial potential, and significant antioxidant activities. These results suggest that solutions from fermented pineapple, orange, and watermelon peels are interesting areas for further research due to their exhibited attributes.

Pink Shrimp Chitosan: A Cutting-edge Sustainable and Low Cost Alternative against Clinical Multidrug Resistant Isolates

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Therapeutic failures and the ever-increasing costs of treating resistant bacterial infections are prompting a search for alternative treatments. The present study was initiated to evaluate the antibacterial activity of chitosan extracted from pink shrimp exoskeleton on multi-resistant bacteria strains collected in hospitals. The chitosan was extracted from pink shrimp collected at Douala using the chemical method and characterized using its degree of deacetylation and FTIR. Its antimicrobial activity was assessed by the agar diffusion method for qualitative evaluation, and by the liquid macro-dilution method for quantitative evaluation. 230 isolates were collected from hospitals, identified at the phenotypic level and their antibiotic sensibility profile was determined using the disc diffusion method. The antimicrobial activity of chitosan was tested on selected multiple-resistant antibiotic isolates using well diffusion and microdilution methods. The results showed a yield of 2 % of chitosan with a degree of deacetylation of 75 %. The IR spectrum obtained was superimposable on that of the standard. A total of 230 strains were identified and grouped into 19 bacterial genera. Ten isolates displayed the highest resistance profile to the tested antibiotics. Chitosan was active against these multiple antibiotic resistant isolates with inhibition diameter ranging from 9 to 30 mm. The MIC of chitosan was between 10 and 160µg/mL with Gram positive bacteria being more sensitive. Chitosan was bactericidal against 69 % of the total strains while Serratia macerans (6%) and Citrobacter freundii (1%) were the most resistant. This study demonstrates the antimicrobial activity of chitosan against clinical multiple antibiotic resistant isolates and suggests its potential use as a sustainable alternative against the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance.