ABSTRACT

A total of ten (10) fresh palm wine samples were collected at guided random from local palm wine tappers in Umuahia, Abia State Nigeria. A total of 29 microbial species made up of 21 bacterial species and 8 fungal species were isolated from fresh palm wine samples. The said isolates includes Bacillus spp (2), Staphylococcus aureus (3), Escherichia coli (4), Lactobacillus spp (6), Micrococcus spp (2), Serratia spp (4), Saccharomyces spp (5), and Candida spp (3). The total viable microbial counts of fresh palm wine samples ranged from 2.04x10³cfu/g to 7.7lx10³cfu/g, total coliform plate count (TCPC) from 2.04x10³cfu/g to 5.37x10³cfu/g, total lactic acid bacterial plate count (TLPC) from 5.44x10³cfu/g to 7.71x10³cfu/g, total bacterial plate count (TBPC) from 2.21x10³cfulg to 4.24x10³cfu/g and total fungal plate count (TFPC) a from 3.45x10³cfu/g to 6.16x10³cfu/g. From the findings in this study, it was observed that Lactobacillus spp is the most frequently occurring isolates with a percentage occurrence of 6(20.7%), followed by Saccharomyces spp 5(17.2%), then Serratia spp and Escherichia coli 4(13.8%), Candida spp and Staphylococcus aureus 3(10.3%), and finally Micrococcus spp and Bacillus spp 2(2.9%). The presence of these organisms in the wine is an indication of the poor hygienic state of the tappers, materials used and the method of tapping involved. This occurrence is of public health importance as the wine is consumed in almost every part of the country due to its nutritional, health and social significance. There is therefore the need for public awareness in the consumption of these wines to help promote the quality of these products to enhance their nutritional as well as avoiding the health risk that may be associated with the consumption of contaminated palm wine.