Abstract

COMPARATIVE INHIBITORY EFFECT OF INDIAN VARITIES OF ALLIUM SATIVUM L.(GARLIC), ALLIUM AMPELOPRASUM L.(ELEPHANT GARLIC) AND ZINGIBER OFFICINALE R. (GINGER) AGAINST ENTEROPATHOGENS

Ananthan Anuswedha*, Kownhar Hayath and Usha Ananda Rao

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic resistance has been called as the world’s most pressing public health problem. Resistant strains of bacteria continue to increase, both in number and in variety, but no significantly different new antibiotics are yet available. The progressive increase in antibacterial resistance among the enteric pathogens is becoming a critical concern for the people of the developing world where there are high rates of diarrhoeal diseases. Herbs and spices are extensively used in Indian and Chinese medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases. In the present study, the solvent extracts and fresh juice of Indian varities of garlic, Allium sativum L., elephant garlic , Allium ampeloprasum L. and ginger, Zingiber officinale Z. was tested against multi-drug resistant enteropathogens. The crude solvent extracts showed no antibacterial activity at a concentration of 100mg/ml in the preliminary agar disc diffusion assay, whereas the fresh juice of garlic showed inhibitory action against enteropathogens at a concentration of 100 μl/ml. This report suggests the potentiality of using garlic juice as a functional food for the prevention or treatment of infectious diarrhoeal diseases.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, enteropathogens, antibacterial.