Microbial Status of Mangrove Fruit (Sonneratia Apetala) Jelly

Abstract

Sonneratia apetala is a mangrove tree found abundantly in the western part of Indian Sundarbans. The fruit of the species appears in the monsoon period and is extensively consumed by the island dwellers of Indian Sundarbans. With the vision to develop small scale mangrove based industry in Indian Sundarbans, jelly was prepared from the pulp of the fruits and analyzed for microbial quality. The total aerobic, anaerobic bacteria,,fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus sp, Vibrio sp. and Salmonella sp. of prepared jelly were analyzed after three months. Absence of E.coli, Streptococcus sp., Vibrio sp. and Salmonella sp. ensures the standard quality of the product.