ABSTRACT

The antimicrobial effects of turmeric (Curcunia longa) and ginger (Zingiber0ffiC 2a!e)on sonic pathogenic organisms were studied. Fresh rhizomes of tumeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) were collected from the orchard of National Root Crops Research Institute. Umudike, Abia State, South East of Nigeria, authenticated and extracted using ethanol to obtain crude ethanolic extracts. The antibacterial effects in vitro of crude ethanol and aqueous extracts of Curcun2a longa (turmeric), Zingiber officinale (ginger) and a combination of turmeric and ginger were assayed against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and Salmonella Spp. I he antibacterial activities were determined using the agar well diffusion method. Turmeric ((. Iongq) showed least antihacterialactivity against the test organisms. The combined extracts ol (. longa and Z ofJIcinale exhibited higher antibacterial activity than Clonga alone. Ginger (Z. of/lcinale,) extracts were most effective. Ethanolic extracts were found to be more potent than the aqueous extracts. The various plant extracts were found to be least active against SalmoncIhi spp and most active against P. aeruginosa. Chloramphnicol which served as the control had higher activity than the spices singly and in combination. The Minimum Inhibitory Conccn1raion (MIC) of the ethanolic extracts of the plants was 50-150 mg/mi for C. longa, 50-100 mg/mI for Z. offIcinale and SO-l5Omg/ml in synergy. The reason might be due to Curcuma longa and Zingiber ofJicinale content of active biochemical compounds such as: tannins, phenols, sapon ins, alkaloids, flavonoid and steroids triterpenes. The results obtained have great potentials Rr the production of commercial drugs for the management of human pathogens.