Physicochemical analysis and anti-bacterial activity of rhizome of tumeric (Curcuma longa L.) vegetable plants

Abstract

Curcuma longa L (Tumeric) a rhizomatous perennial herb belonging to the ginger family Zingiberaceae, was studied to evaluate its physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Two solvent extractions (Aqueous and Ethanol) were prepared from the rhizomes obtained from Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria which were dried and ground into powder of mesh size of 0.2 mm in diameter. The physicochemical analysis showed a pH of 6.95, Iodine Value of 51.39, Refractive Index of 1.44 and Specific Gravity of 1.45 which imply moderate level of unsaturated fatty acids content and high antimicrobial activity. Its antibacterial evaluation against Staphylococcus aureus American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 25923 (gram +ve) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 29953 (Gram -ve) were carried out with the two extracts and Chloramphenicol as the control using agar well diffusion method. The antibiotic showed significantly higher inhibitory effect on the bacterial isolates than the aqueous extract (P<0.05). It also showed higher effect than the ethanol extract on S. aureus (P<0.05) but statistically equal effect on P. aeruginosa (P>0.05). The ethanol extract showed higher activity against the test organisms than the aqueous extract at P<0.05. The zones of inhibition for the aqueous extract ranged from 7.00 mm – 13.67 mm for S. aureus and 7.33 mm – 14.33 mm for P. aeruginosa and the ethanol extract, 13.33 mm – 19.00 mm and 15.00 mm – 13.00 mm for S. aureus and P. aeruginosa respectively. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration was observed at 12.5 mg/mL in both cases. The antibacterial activity shown by C. longa may be due to the presence of phytochemicals such as Alkaloids, Steroids, Saponins, Flavonoids, Phenols and Tannins which were observed when the extract was analyzed phytochemically. C. longa showed potent activity against bacteria in this study and would make a more active and viable antibiotic.

Levels of Proximate Compositions and Minerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, and Zn) Present in Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and Gingerbread Plum (Noecarya macrophylla) Leaves Collected from Sokoto Town

“…The sodium/ potassium ratio is a good value that must be regulated for optimum blood pressure maintenance. Nerve signaling, and muscle functions, are also essential body activities that need sodium unavoidably (Muhammad et al, 2015ab;Okonwu & Ariaga, 2016;Oklo et al, 2023). In a nutshell, the availability of good nutritional indicators in terms of proximate contents, and elements at a significant level found in this fruit gives a good source of food material that is cheap and accessible to the people especially in the region challenged by chronic, infectious diseases and malnutrition.…”