In vitro Antibacterial Activity of Direct Crude Extracts of Carica papaya Leaves and Allium sativum Cloves Alone and in Combination against Multidrug Resistant Bacterial Strains

Aim: Medicinal plants have potential pharmacological effect and Screening of natural extracts is a focused intensive study that aims to find active principles sorted from plant resources both safe and environmental friendly.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of direct crude extracts of Carica papaya leaves and Allium sativum cloves alone and in combination against multiple drug resistant strains.

Methods: The antibacterial potency of each plant extract individually and in combination was evaluated using five bacterial strains causing infections. Two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and three strains of Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Carica papaya leaves and Allium sativum using Agar Disk Diffusion Method.

Results: The results revealed that Carica papaya leaves extract and Allium sativum cloves extracts were potentially effective in suppressing microbial growth with variable potency. The combination of extracts of both plants was found to be most effective combination in retarding microbial growth of all tested pathogenic bacteria at concentration of 10 mg/disc than individual extracts.

Conclusion: The extracts have the potential to serve as natural alternatives for preventing food poisoning and preserving food while avoiding the potential health risks associated with the use of chemically antibacterial agents.