Gut Microbiome Composition and GC-MS Analysis of the Oil Extract from Termite species in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Termites are eusocial insects of the order Isopter, with members gut harbouring certain bacteria and fungi. This study analysed the micro-organisms in the gut of termite species. Ten (10) termitaria were excavated, and termites collected were identified into two species Macrotermes sp. and Odontotermes sp. Fifteen (15) Workers, 25 mandibulated soldiers, and one (1) Queen for Macrotermes sp., and fifteen (15) workers, 25 soldiers, and one Queen for Odontotermes sp were subjected to isolation and characterization of micro-organisms' symbionts from their gut using microbial techniques, grams staining, biochemical, and molecular techniques. The microbial communities harboured in the termites’ gut of the workers, soldiers, queen, and king castes of the Macrotermes sp. and Odontotermes sp. were identified as bacteria of the genera Bacillus sp., Salmonella sp., Shigella sp. and Escherichia coli, and fungi of the genera, Fusarium sp, Termitomyces sp, and Chaetomium sp. The GC-MS analysis of the oil extract from the termite queen demonstrated the presence of thirty-one (31) chemical components. The most prevailing constituents were thymol (23.31 %), seconded by gamma-Terpenene (17.31 %), and followed by p-Cymene (16.40 %), Phenol-2-methyl-5-(1-methyl ethyl)- (7.19%), Lupeol (5.94 %), Terpinen-4-ol (3.19), and Caryophyllene oxide (2.47 %). The results indicated that the termite species host diverse groups of symbiotic bacteria carrying out different enzymatic functions in the gut. This work was the first to report the GC-MS component of the oil extract from termite queen in south-south Nigeria. Nevertheless, further study on the interaction of microbiomes in the gut of termite species is recommended.