Preparation of modified banana peel agar (MBPA)
The MBPA was prepared using the method of Essien et al. (2005)
with some modification. This involved dissolving 10.0 g of malt
extract agar in 500 ml of the experimental filtrate and incorporating
0.75% (W/V) mycological peptone (Oxoid) and 0.5% (W/V) sodium
propionate. The medium was sterilized by autoclaving at 121oC for
15 min. Thereafter, the pH of the medium was adjusted to 4.5 with
0.5 M HCl. The acid pH was to discourage the growth of bacteria
while the use of sodium propionate discouraged the growth of
moulds.