EVALUATION OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF ALLIUM SATIVUM ON SELECTED ORGANISMS

Abstract

S tudies antibiotics are of essential significance in medicine, given the prominence of antibiotics resistance of most pathogens to readily available antimicrobial agents. The research was based on the evaluation of antimicrobial activity of 70 % ethanol extract of allium sativum (garlic) against some selected pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli). Using Agar Diffusion method antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted on the extract against the test organisms and depicted that the organisms were sensitive to the ethanolic extract of allium sativum, with Staphylococcus aureus as the most susceptible. The result showed variation of inhibition zone diameters, ranging from 7 - 15 mm, against Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus which were dose dependent. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the garlic extract against these bacterial species was determined using Agar broth method and the result showed that the tested organisms were found to be inhibited by ethanolic extract of Allium sativum even at the lowest concentrations of 25%. The result of this evaluation shows that some bioactive compounds present are capable of inhibiting the growth of some pathogenic organisms, hence, can potentially contribute to resolving the issue of antimicrobial resistance.