Antimicrobial Properties of Daily Consumed Bio Vegetables: Tomato, Chili Pepper, Parsley, Onion and Garlic

Abstract

Many antimicrobial drugs lost their ability to effectively combat bacteria in recent years. This prompt¬ed novel investigations on the antibacterial properties of plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of bio parsley, tomatoes, chili peppers, two types of onions, and garlic against Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria. 20 samples derived from 5 plants were assessed using the agar diffusion method against test strains Bacillus subtilis No8751 and Escherichia coli No8752, provided by the National Bank for Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Bulgaria. Our results demonstrated that the strongest antibacterial power had garlic, followed by orange-skinned onion and chili pepper. Against Gram (+) bacteria inhibitory effect was shown by mature orange and red-skinned onion bulbs and chili pepper tissue. Against Gram (-) most effective were mature garlic bulbs and chili pepper’s tissue. The single vegetable suppressing the growth both of E. coli and B. subtilis was the chili pepper. Obtained results showed that seeds of tomato and chili pepper demonstrated weak effectiveness demonstrating their prophylactic antibacterial role when eaten. In conclusion, single bio vegetables or their combinations are promising sources for novel antibac¬terial agents.