Comparative Antibacterial Activity of Aqueous Garlic (Allium sativum) Extract Against Selected Pathogenic Bacteria Using CLSI Standard Methods

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum) is also famous in terms of its antibacterial properties due to the sulfur-containing bioactive chemicals, such as allicin. This study was aimed at evaluating the antibacterial performance of aqueous extract of garlic against certain pathogenic bacteria, which included: Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella spp and Escherichia coli. Aqueous maceration was used to prepare and extract fresh garlic cloves. Assessment of the antibacterial activity using the disc diffusion technique was done according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) criteria.

Levofloxacin and meropenem were employed as positive controls, and various quantities of garlic extract (2 ml, 4 ml, and 6 ml) were evaluated. The findings showed a rise in antibacterial activity that was concentration-dependent. Nevertheless, garlic extract's effectiveness was much less than that of conventional antibiotics (p < 0.05). According to these results, garlic extract may be used as an additional antimicrobial agent and has a modest antibacterial potential. It is advised that more research be done on phytochemical analysis and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination.