Identification and Characterization of Citric Acid-Producing Fungi from Soil and Melon (Cucumeropsis mannii) Rind Samples Collected from Melon Farm in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Authors

  • Adamude Adis Fatima
    Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Abdulrahman Muhammad
    Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Abdulrazak Mohammed Adewumi
    Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Hassan Badeggi Muhammad
    Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Monday Nwankwo
    Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Femi Ayo Gbadeyan
    Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
  • Umbugadu Shiri
    Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Citric acid , fungi isolate , Aspergillus niger , fermentation process , microbial isolation and screening

Abstract

The essential and important organic acid used industrially worldwide for microbial fermentation especially filamentous fungi is citric acid. In this investigation, soil and melon rind (Cucumeropsis mannii) samples from melon farms in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. These was used to isolate, screen, identify, and characterize citric acid-producing fungi. Standard microbiological culture protocols were used for serial dilution followed by plating on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). The samples were also cultivated on Czapek-Dox Agar (CZA) enriched with bromocresol green to specifically achieve acidogenic strains isolates. This specialized medium allowed for the identification of potent isolates with observable translucent halo zones around the colonies. Green colonies were the most common of the 212 fungal colonies that were obtained. Morphological and microscopic characterization revealed the presence of several fungal genera, including Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus tamarii, Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., and Rhizopus stolonifer. Out of the characterise4d and identified fungus Aspergillus niger shows highest potential for citric acid production. The results highlighted the possibility to use melon rind as an inexpensive substrate for industrial fermentation operations and revealed the abundance of native fungi in soil and agricultural leftovers capable of generating citric acid. This research shows how local microbial sources can be effectively used in industries and biotechnological projects. 

Dimensions

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Cover

Published

2026-06-26

How to Cite

Identification and Characterization of Citric Acid-Producing Fungi from Soil and Melon (Cucumeropsis mannii) Rind Samples Collected from Melon Farm in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. (2026). Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4(2), 27-33. https://doi.org/10.62050/ljsir2026.v4n2.848

Issue

Volume 4, Issue 2 (October, 2026), Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research (LJSIR)

Section

Life Sciences
Copyright & Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 Adamude Adis Fatima, Abdulrahman Muhammad, Abdulrazak Mohammed Adewumi, Hassan Badeggi Muhammad (Author); Monday Nwankwo (Translator); Femi Ayo Gbadeyan, Umbugadu Shiri (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Identification and Characterization of Citric Acid-Producing Fungi from Soil and Melon (Cucumeropsis mannii) Rind Samples Collected from Melon Farm in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. (2026). Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 4(2), 27-33. https://doi.org/10.62050/ljsir2026.v4n2.848

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