The Inhibitory Action of Aqueous Garlic Extract on the Growth of Certain Pathogenic Bacteria

Abstract

This work reports the antibacterial effect of aqueous garlic (Allium sativum) extract on certain pathogenic Gram positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Streptococcus pneumonia and Streptococcus faecalis, and Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter haemolyticus and determined the optimal conditions for storage of garlic extract. The results have revealed that, a concentration of 750 to 1000 µg/ml of the aqueous garlic extract has high antibacterial effect. Storage for 6 h at 30-50 °C, was found to have optimal efficacy for inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, while a storage temperature of 70-100°C led to loss of the efficacy of aqueous garlic extract.

Key Words: Aqueous garlic extract, antibacterial effect, pathogenic bacteria.

East & Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.6(1) 2003: 9-14