Antimicrobial properties of three spices used in the preparation of suya condiment against organisms isolated from formulated samples and individual ingredients

Abstract

The effects of Eugenia aromatica (clove), Allium sativum (garlic) and Piper guineense (brown pepper), three spices commonly used in south-western Nigeria, added to growth media at different concentrations were studied with respect to their inhibitory activity against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus enterobacter sp., Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer isolated from already formulated and individual  spices/ingredients used in the preparation of suya pepper. The sensitivity of isolated organisms revealed that clove is outstanding compared to the much worked on garlic and that gram positive bacteria showed higher sensitivity to spices than gram negative bacteria. R. stolonifer showed a higher sensitivity to brown pepper than it did to garlic. The growth of A. niger was not completely inhibited by brown pepper or a combination of both. The percentage composition of these three spices affected their inhibitory effects on microorganisms in suya condiment.