ABSTRACT

Newly obtained rhizome of Zingiber officinale (Ginger) and cloves of Allium sativum (Garlic) were obtained from the  market, they were put together and left at 25oC to permit air drying, milled to fine powder and then this powder were extracted (each alone) using distilled water and ethanol as solvents for the extraction into a sterilize air tight glass bottles. After that the extracts were examined for its antibacterial (inhibitory) effect toward clinical isolates of some gram negative organisms such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. Two kind of extract for garlic and two kind of extract for ginger (Aqueous and Ethanoic) were extracted/obtained and were then examined separately and compared with the antibiotics ceftriaxone. Agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the extract. The test isolates showed variable susceptibility to the garlic and ginger extract (Aqueous and Ethanoic) and to the antibiotics ceftriaxone used as control. The outcomes of the susceptibility experiment depicted that ethanoic extract of garlic and ginger (each alone) showed more inhibitory effect than aqueous which showed none at concentrations of 100%, 80% 60% and 40%. The inhibitory effect increased with an increase in the concentration of the extracts and decreased with a decrease in concentration. The minimum inhibitory effect of ethanolic ginger extract on E.coli was found to be 11 at 60% and 11 also at 60% in Salmonella typhi respectively while the minimum inhibitory concentration of ethanoic garlic extract was found to be 15.5 at 60% in E.coli and 12.6 at 60% concentration in Salmonella spp.