FORMULATION OF COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE MICROBIAL CULTURE MEDIA USING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WASTE: A NOVEL APPROACH

Abstract

The present investigation reveals the formulation of cost effective alternative microbial culture media using fruits and
vegetables waste. Vegetables and fruits peel used for formulation of alternative media like Drum stick, Orange, Potato,
Corn, Banana, Pine apple, Pomegranate, Papaya, Coconut coir, Carrot and Beetroot were collected from local vegetable
market. Peels and coir were sun dried for 2-3 days and formulated into media by standard protocol. Bacterial culture
used for analysis were E.coli, S.aureus, Pseudomonas spp, Klebsiella spp. and Bacillus spp. Bacteria were streaked on the freshly
prepared nutrient agar medium from the original stock culture. The best formulated media were Beetroot media, Papaya
media, Pomegranate media and Potato media as they showed the luxuriant growth of all five bacteria. Klebsiella spp and
Pseudomonas spp grows luxuriantly in all media. S. aureus only grows in papaya media, Beetroot media and Potato media.
Bacillus spp grows well in Orange media, Pomegranate media, Coconut coir and Beetroot media. The colonial
characteristics of both the commercially available nutrient agar and the formulated media were compared for each
isolate. The results of this study suggest that Papaya peel agar and Potato peel agar could be used as an enrichment
medium for the growth of bacteria. The growth results obtained using above formulated media proves its efficiency as an
alternative cheap media for routine microbiological experimentation.