Biochemical and Molecular Identification of the Bacteria Isolated from Pineapple Peels

Pineapple (Ananas comosus, Lin. Merr.) processing generates significant volumes of waste, which poses environmental challenges due to its high organic matter content. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial diversity present in pineapple waste and evaluate its potential for biotechnological applications. Pineapple peel samples were collected from a processing facility in Gatundu Town, Kenya, and subjected to both biochemical and molecular analyses to identify the bacterial communities present. Enrichment cultures and serial dilutions were used to isolate 18 bacterial strains, which were then characterized through physiological assays. 16 amplicons obtained from PCR amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were subjected to molecular identification. The bacterial species identified included members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, such as Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, and Citrobacter spp., with bacterial counts ranging from 2,000 to 7,500 CFU/ml across different batches. Molecular identification through PCR amplification and sequencing revealed diverse bacterial species, including Myroides odoratimimus (99.2%), Bacillus cereus (98.9%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (99.5%), with high sequence similarity scores confirming their identification. Many of the strains that have been identified are known to produce industrial enzymes like lipases, cellulases, and proteases. They also show great promise for use in waste degradation, bioremediation, and the production of bioenergy. The microbial ecology of pineapple waste is better understood through this study, which also highlights the fruit's potential as a source of microorganisms for biotechnological uses. The findings emphasize the importance of combining molecular and biochemical methods to comprehensively characterize microbial communities in agricultural waste and exploit their potential for industrial applications.