http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/63 Microbiology Fri, 01 May 2026 22:34:37 GMT 2026-05-01T22:34:37Z http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30550 Title: Microbial-derived metabolites as next-generation solutions for sustainable food preservation and safety Authors: Oyewole, O.A.,; Izuafa, A.; Ayomide, I.A. Abstract: The escalating demand for sustainable and health-conscious food preservation strategies has positioned microbial-derived compounds at the forefront of contemporary food science research. These bioactive metabolites encompassing bacteriocins, antibiotics, antifungal agents, organic acids, and bioactive enzymes demonstrate remarkable efficacy in suppressing foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and minimizing spoilage-related losses. Beyond conventional preservation applications, microbial metabolites serve diverse functions across pharmaceutical, agricultural, and biotechnological sectors, including their roles as natural preservatives, therapeutic agents, fermentation catalysts, and biocontrol agents. Recent advances in strain engineering and synthetic biology have expanded the technological capacity to optimize microbial strains for enhanced metabolite yield, improved stability, and industrial-scale feasibility, thereby presenting economically viable alternatives to synthetic chemical preservatives. The scientific community continues to address critical barriers including production efficiency, regulatory harmonization, consumer perception, and the concerning emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This manuscript synthesizes current knowledge on microbial-derived natural products, elucidating their mechanistic pathways in food preservation and outlining future directions for sustainable food safety innovation. The evidence indicates substantial potential for these eco-friendly bioactive compounds to address multifaceted food security challenges while promoting human and environmental health simultaneously. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30550 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30539 Title: Microbe-engineered nanocatalysts for thermal, photo, and electrocatalytic green transformations: a critical review of structure-activity relationships and performance metrics Authors: Oyewole, O.A.,; Suleiman, W. R.,; Nmadu, M.E.,; Musa, I.O.,; Maddela, N.R.; Abass, K.S. Abstract: Microbe-engineered nanocatalysts offer a sustainable and adaptable platform for green chemical transformations in thermal, photocatalytic, and electrocatalytic systems. Biological synthesis techniques using bacteria, fungi, yeast, and algae enable the controlled formation of nanoparticles via enzymatic reduction, respiratory metal transformation, and photosynthetic redox pathways. However, present reviews mostly emphasise biological synthesis pathways, with limited quantitative integration of structure-activity connections and cross-platform catalytic performance measurements. These biogenic nanocatalysts typically have particle sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nm, high defect densities, variable surface functionalisation, and organic capping layers to improve colloidal stability and catalytic selectivity. Quantitative study demonstrates activation energy reductions of 20-60%, turnover frequencies of 0.1-10 s⁻¹, and overpotentials as low as 200-500 mV in electrocatalytic systems. Environmental applications exhibit removal efficiency of over 90% for dyes, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical micropollutants. Energy applications show hydrogen evolution rates of up to 10 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and CO₂ conversion selectivity of up to 90%. Despite these performance benchmarks, the field faces significant hurdles in batch-to-batch reproducibility and standardized reporting of metal-normalized activity. Structure-activity relationships suggest that nanoscale defect engineering, active site density, and surface biomolecule interactions all have a significant impact on catalytic performance. This review combines quantitative measures from synthesis, structural characterisation, catalytic mechanisms, and environmental deployment to provide a cohesive framework for rationally designing next-generation bioinspired nanocatalysts for sustainable chemical processes. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30539 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30523 Title: Optimizing Lactiplantibacillus plantarum JCM 1149 growth conditions for improvement of the gelation and nutritional qualities of fermented soy milk Authors: Adamu, B. B.; Bala, J. D.; Auta, H. S.; Boniface, O. O.; Oyewole, O. A.; Babayi, H.; Aboh, M. I.; Maddela, N. R.; Prasad, R. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30523 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30522 Title: Microplastics distribution in the soil: A review Authors: Auta, H. S.; Musa, I. O.; Aransiola, S. A.; Makun, H. A.; Hassan, A.; Ijah, U. J. J.; Aboyeji, D. O.; Fauziah, S. H.; Maddela, N. R.; Prasad, R. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://irepo.futminna.edu.ng:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/30522 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z