Potencijal biljnih ekstrakata vlasca, medvjeđeg luka

Abstract

Food spoilage is phenomenon associated with occurence of the microorganisms in agricultural products. Due to the ability of several microorganisms to colonize plant material, agrochemicals were proposed to suppress bacterial growth. However, overuse of agrochemicals has detrimental impact on environmental quality. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the potential of aqueous extracts of garlic (Allium sativum L.), wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.), and chives (Allium schoenoprasum L.) to suppress the growth of Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial activity of these plant extracts was determined using the disc diffusion method. Mueller-Hinton agar was inoculated with bacterial inoculum; six filter paper disks, impregnated with 15 μl aqueous extract (1, 2 and 4%), were placed on each agar surface. The Petri dishes were incubated at 37 °C for 24 hours. The diameter of the zone of inhibition was measured and expressed in millimeters (mm). Almost all aqueous extracts showed a negligible effect on the growth of E. coli and E. faecalis. Significant suppression of bacterial growth compared with other treatments was observed with the aqueous extract of wild garlic at a concentration of 4%. This research confirms the potential of wild garlic extract in suppression of potential pathogens.