Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Some Fungi Species in Soil Contaminated with Spent Engine Oil in Mechanic Garages at Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to isolate and identify by molecular characterization of some fungi species in soil contaminated with spent engine oil in mechanic garages at Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Standard soil isolation technique was employed to obtain fungal isolates growing in the top soils (0-15 cm deep). Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) was used for culture and the incubation temperature was 30^oC for 7 days. The 18S rRNA genome was amplified, sequenced and analyzed. The five fungal isolates obtained were Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma spp, Fusariumspp, Mucor spp and Penicillium spp. The identification of Aspergillus niger was taken further because it was present at all sites examined. Outside the morphological characterization, the molecular characterization of the species with known fungal species from the gene bank indicated more than 98% similarity for Aspergillus niger. This study contributes to the database on locally available fungal diversity and their ecology. These microbes exhibited applicable bioremediation potential for the clearing of the spent engine oil polluted site in Kaduna metropolis.