MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF FRESHLY HARVESTED AND MARKETED COCONUT WATER

ABSTRACT

In order to compare the bacterial load in coconut water and evaluate its antibacterial effectiveness, a study on the microbiological quality of recently harvested and commercially available coconut water was conducted. Pour plate techniques were used to identify the bacteria in the recently harvested and commercialized coconut water, and the agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the coconut water on the isolated bacteria. The coconut water acquired from Uselu market had a microbial load of 9 106, while that from New Benin and Olokun markets had too many microbes to count, according to the results of the bacteria associated with the recently harvested and marketed coconut water (TNC). Coconut water that was recently harvested and purchased from NIFOR lacked growth. Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus species made up the majority of the bacteria linked to the coconut water. No zone of inhibition was observed on the test pathogens in the results of the antibacterial activity of the coconut water on the bacteria isolates, indicating that the action of the coconut water on the bacteria isolates was bacteriostatic. The results of this study have demonstrated that coconut water that has just been harvested is free of bacteria contamination when compared to coconut water that has been commercialized. Additionally, this study has demonstrated that the ability of the bacteria to survive in the coconut water was caused by the bacteriostatic action of the coconut water on the isolated bacteria.