Ezekiel Green

Publications (17) View all

• Source

  Available from: Uchechukwu U Nwodo

  Article: Characterization of an Exopolymeric Flocculant Produced by a Brachybacterium sp.

  Uchechukwu U. Nwodo, Mayowa O. Agunbiade, Ezekiel Green, Mutshinyalo Nwamadi, Karl Rumbold, Anthony I. Okoh
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  ABSTRACT: We evaluated the bioflocculant production potential of an Actinobacteria, which was isolated from a freshwater environment in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. 16S rDNA nucleotide sequencing analyses revealed that the actinobacteria belongs to the Brachybacterium genus, and the sequences were deposited in the GenBank as Brachybacterium sp. UFH, with accession number HQ537131. Optimum fermentation conditions for bioflocculant production by the bacteria include an initial medium pH of 7.2, incubation temperature of 30 °C, agitation speed of 160 rpm and an inoculum size of 2% (vol/vol) of cell density 3.0 × 108 CFU/mL. The carbon, nitrogen and cation sources for optimum bioflocculant production were maltose (83% flocculating activity), urea (91.17% flocculating activity) and MgCl2 (91.16% flocculating activity). Optimum bioflocculant production coincided with the logarithmic growth phase of the bacteria, and chemical analyses of the bioflocculant showed 39.4% carbohydrate and 43.7% protein (wt/wt). The mass ratio of neutral sugar, amino sugar and uronic acids was 1.3:0.7:2.2. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino groups, amongst others, typical for heteropolysaccharide and glycosaminoglycan polysaccharides. Bioflocculant pyrolysis showed thermal stability at over 600 °C, while scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging revealed a maze-like structure of interlaced flakes. Its high flocculation activity suggests its suitability for industrial applicability.
  Materials. 03/2013; 6:1237-1254.
• Article: IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism typing of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from northeast South Africa.

  Ezekiel Green, Lawrence C Obi, Anthony I Okoh, Maphoshane Nchabeleng, Babsie E de Villiers, Tomas Letsoalo, Anwar A Hoosen, Pascal O Bessong, Roland N Ndip
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  ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a deadly infectious disease affecting millions of people worldwide; 95% of TB cases, with 98% of death occur in developing countries. The situation in South Africa merits special attention. A total of 21,913 sputum specimens of suspected TB patients from three provinces of South Africa routinely submitted to the TB laboratory of Dr. George Mukhari (DGM) Hospital were assayed for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) growth and antibiotic susceptibility. The genetic diversity of 338 resistant strains were also studied. DNA isolated from the strains were restricted with Pvu II, transferred on to a nylon membrane and hybridized with a PCR-amplified horseradish peroxidase 245 bp IS6110 probe. Of the 338 resistant strains, 2.09% had less than 5 bands of IS6110, and 98% had 5 or more bands. Unique restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns were observed in 84.3% of the strains, showing their epidemiological independence, and 15.7% were grouped into 22 clusters. Thirty-two strains (61.5%) from the 52 that clustered were from Mpumalanga, 16/52 (30.8%) from Gauteng, and 4/52 (9.6%) from Limpopo province. Clustering was not associated with age. However, strains from male patients in Mpumalanga were more likely to be clustered than strains from male patients in Limpopo and/or Gauteng province. The minimum estimate for the proportion of resistant TB that was due to transmission is 9.06% (52-22 = 30/331). Our results indicate that transmission of drug-resistant strains may contribute substantially to the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa.
  Journal of Health Population and Nutrition 03/2013; 31(1):1-10. · 0.95 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Ezekiel Green

  Dataset: ijerph-09-02608

  Mirriam E Nyenje, Collins E Odjadjare, Nicoline F Tanih, Ezekiel Green, Roland N Ndip
• Source

  Available from: Ezekiel Green

  Dataset: ijerph-09-03101

  Mirriam E Nyenje, Collins E Odjadjare, Nicoline F Tanih, Ezekiel Green, Roland N Ndip
• Source

  Available from: Ezekiel Green

  Article: Foodborne Pathogens Recovered from Ready-to-Eat Foods from Roadside Cafeterias and Retail Outlets in Alice, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Public Health Implications.

  Mirriam E Nyenje, Collins E Odjadjare, Nicoline F Tanih, Ezekiel Green, Roland N Ndip
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  ABSTRACT: This study assessed the microbiological quality of various ready-to-eat foods sold in Alice, South Africa. Microbiological analysis was conducted on 252 samples which included vegetables, potatoes, rice, pies, beef and chicken stew. The isolates were identified using biochemical tests and the API 20E, API 20NE and API Listeria kits; results were analyzed using the one-way-ANOVA test. Bacterial growth was present in all the food types tested; high levels of total aerobic count were observed in vegetables, 6.8 ± 0.07 followed by rice, 6.7 ± 1.7 while pies had the lowest count (2.58 ± 0.24). Organisms isolated included: Listeria spp. (22%), Enterobacter spp. (18%), Aeromonas hydrophila (12%), Klebsiella oxytoca (8%), Proteus mirabilis (6.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.2%) and Pseudomonas luteola (2.4%). Interestingly, Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli were not isolated in any of the samples. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of foodborne pathogens from hygienic and unhygienic cafeterias. The results indicated that most of the ready-to-eat food samples examined in this study did not meet bacteriological quality standards, therefore posing potential risks to consumers. This should draw the attention of the relevant authorities to ensure that hygienic standards are improved to curtain foodborne infections.
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 08/2012; 9(8):2608-19. · 1.61 Impact Factor