HYDROCARBON DEGRADING ABILITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCI FROM DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study reveals the methicillin sensitivity pattern and hydrocarbon degrading abilities of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis on crude oil, kerosene, diesel and engine oil. Different species of staphylococcus were isolated from polluted and unpolluted soil, polluted and unpolluted water, roof, bathroom, toilet, poultry, cow dung, waste dustbin, and human nose, ear, skin, hand, and throat, in The Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State. Clinical isolates and typed cultures were also collected from Microbiology Laboratory Obafemi Awolowo University and Medical Microbiology Laboratory, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria respectively. Isolation, characterization and identification were done using standard microbiological methods. In addition, molecular identification of all the isolates was carried out using standard techniques. Antibiotic sensitivity and hydrocarbon degrading activities of the staphylococcal isolates were determined using VIS spectrophotometer (721(D) axiom medical LTD. U. K) at wavelength of 600nm. S. aureus were isolated from Human throats, hand, skin, animal dung, poultry air, bathroom’s air, roof, polluted and unpolluted water and polluted soil, also clinical sample and typed culture were authenticated to be S. aureus. Also, S. epidermidis were isolated from human’s nose and ear, unpolluted soil, waste dustin bin and toilet’s air. The occurrence of S. aureus was more prevalent with 66.67% while S. epidermidis was 33.33%. Staphylococci isolated from different environment in FUTA, clinical isolates from hospital and typed culture (ATCC-25923) were all resistant to tested antibiotics. The organisms with the highest methicillin resistance S. aureus isolated from the hand had the lowest degradative abilities while S. epidermidis from unpolluted soil showed methicillin susceptibility and had more degradative ability. The pathogenic test conducted on healthy albino rats revealed significant increase in packed cell volume, red blood cell and neutrophil counts when compared with control group while there was no significant increase in the white blood cell, Lymphocyte and monocyte counts when compared with the control group. The liver histopathological results showed ruptured vein, necrotic effects and Kupffer cells infilterated by leucocytes and direct toxic effects. Molecular identification was done to further ascertain the species of staphylococci identified by the traditional method. The molecular method of identification of bacteria used based on the conserved sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of various bacteria coupled with the nucleotide sequences revealed similarities with staphylococci spp. 100% similarities of the 16s rRNA of the isolated bacteria with the 16s rRNA gene fragments of the microorganisms in the gene bank showed that they are homologous to each other. The percentage identities (100%) of the isolated Staphylococcus spp compared with the gene bank confirmed the identity of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Staphylococci that are susceptible to methicillin could be exploited in degradation of crude oil