Antimicrobial activity of selected plant extracts against common food borne pathogenic bacteria

Singh, Ashneel A. and Naaz, Zafiar T. and Rakaseta, Edward and Perera, Marcha and Singh, Vrinda and Cheung, Wilson and Mani, Francis S. and Nath, Swastika (2023) Antimicrobial activity of selected plant extracts against common food borne pathogenic bacteria. Food and Humanity, 1 . pp. 64-70. ISSN 2949-8244

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Abstract

Increasing antibiotic resistance of important human pathogens calls for investigation and discovery of new
antibiotics. Various medicinal plants and spices available in Fiji have antimicrobial potential against various
food-borne pathogens. This research aims to address the assumed antimicrobial activity of twelve selected plant
extracts against fifteen food-borne pathogens and to evaluate the pathogens resistances. The Kirby-Bauer Method
was used in this study to determine the potency of plant extracts. Total Phenolic Content (TPC) was determined
by the Folin-Ciocalteu Spectrophotometric method. The chosen plant species samples used were Morinda citrifolia
(noni) leaves, Syzygium aromaticum (clove) bud, Psidium guajava (guava) leaves, Ocimum basilicum (basil)
leaves, Carica papaya (pawpaw) leaves, Azadirachta indica (neem) seed oil, Citrus limon (lemon) leaves, and
Zingiber officinale (ginger) root. Extracts from these eight plants were tested against common food-borne bacteria;
Clostridium perfringens, Citrobacter youngae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter amnigenus, Enterobacter
cloacae, Escherichia coli, Hafnia alveia, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Morganella morganii, Proteus
vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Photobacterium damselae, Raoultella ornithinolytica and Vibrio alginolyticus. Both resistance
and antibacterial responses were observed for the different plant extracts. All plant extracts were successful
in inhibiting bacterial growth for different number of species at varying levels of effectiveness with noni
being the most effective. The highest inhibition zones (ZOI > 14 mm) were shown by garlic, basil, jasmine and
neem. Highest mean ZOI was shown by noni at 11.4 mm followed by garlic at 10.1 mm and clove at 8.4 mm.
Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined for extracts exhibiting antibacterial potential. TPC may
attribute to the antibacterial properties of the extracts, however, this needs further investigation. Results indicate
presence of possible bioactive compounds in the extracts which can aid in search for new antibiotic drugs from
plant sources. Studies that identify the compounds of therapeutically important flora in Fiji is recommended.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Disc-diffusion, Food pathogen, Herbal medicine, Microbial resistance, Plant extract, Antibacterial
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) Q Science > QK Botany Q Science > QR Microbiology R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions:	School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS)
Depositing User:	Ashneel Singh
Date Deposited:	20 Sep 2023 03:44
Last Modified:	20 Sep 2023 03:44
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/14197

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