ABSTRACT

 This study determined the antimicrobial activities of garlic (A ilium sativum) and ginger (Zin giber officinale) extracts on clinical isolates. The fresh Garlic (A ilium sativuni) and ginger (Zin giber offIcinale), in bulbs forms were obtained from Ahieke Market. The clinical isolates used in this research to assess the antibacterial properties of the bulb extracts consisted of two Gram-Positive and two Gram-Negative bacteria isolates obtained from clinical isolates. The isolates were subcultured on fresh Nutrient agar, Mannitol Salt agar and MacConkey agar using streak method. The bacterial species isolated were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella species and Streptococcus species, which served as test organisms. Disc Diffusion Method was used to determine the antibacterial activities of the garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber offIcinale) extracts. In this study it was observed that the methanolic extract had more significant inhibitory effect than cold water and hot water extracts. Salmonella species exhibited the highest sensitivity (16mm) against the methanol extract of Garlic (A ilium sativum) while Streptococcus species and Escherichia coli exhibited the highest sensitivity (16mm) against the methanol extract of ginger (Zingiber offIcinale). It was also revealed in this study that the lowest antibacterial activity (0.0mm) methanolic extract of garlic and ginger was exhibited at the lowest concentration of 50mg/rnl against Staphylococcus aureus. It was observed in this study that the cold water extracts of both plants exhibited the highest in-vitro antibacterial activity of 14mm and 15mm at the concentration of 200mg/mi against Salmonella species and Escherichia coli respectively, while the hot water extract of both plants exhibited the highest in-vitro antibacterial activity of 10mm and 11mm at the concentration of 200mg/ml against Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli and Salmonella species. The MIC of the extracts revealed that Hot water and methanol extract demonstrated greater antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus, at the range of 200rng/ml and 1 OOmg/ml respectively against Staphylococcus aureus but the cold water extract of garlic had higher concentration (1 50mg/ml) against Staphylococcus aureus when compared to ginger which recorded a concentration of loomg/rnl. Based on the findings of this research, it is concluded that methanolic extracts and to a lesser extent cold water extract of both garlic (A ilium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber of/icinale) possess antibacterial activity.