Bacteria Associated with Diseased Postharvest Irvingia Gabonensis Fruits and Seeds

Irvingia gabonensis is an economically important fruit native to the majority of tropical rainforest regions in West and Central Africa. However, bacterial infestation during post-harvest storage affects its quality and shelf life. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize bacterial pathogens associated with African bush mango fruits and seeds. I.gabonensis fruits and seeds were sourced from Sagana market in Mile 1 and Creek Road market, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Bacterial species were isolated using standard microbiological procedures, while characterization of the isolates was carried out using molecular methods. DNA was extracted from pure bacterial cultures using the ZymoBIOMICS DNA Microprep Kit. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria was carried out, and the amplicons were sequenced by Sanger sequencing. The obtained sequences were aligned and compared with sequences in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The result of the nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae strain JTB1, Bacillus altitudinis strain JTB2, Priestia megaterium strain JTB3, for the fruits and Bacillus safensis strain JTB4 and Brevibacillus agri strain JTB5 in the seeds. The presence of these bacterial species in the harvested fruits and seeds of Irvingia gabonensis raises concerns about the potential health risks associated with consuming these fruits and seeds.