Contribution to the Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Allium Sativum L. (Garlic) Essential Oil and Fresh Juice

Abstract

Our work consists of evaluating in vitro the antibacterial activity of the essential oil and fresh juice of Allium sativum L. (garlic), harvested from the region of El Harrouche, Skikda (Algeria). The antibacterial effect of essential oil and fresh juice was assessed by the Aromatogram method against three Gram-clinical bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and a Gram + strain (Staphylococcus aureus) in addition to two reference strains Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oil and fresh juice was determined by the solid dilution method. The results showed that the essential oil had an antibacterial effect only on Staphylococcus aureus strains (19 and 18mm), whereas the fresh juice exerted an antibacterial effect against all the tested strains, with inhibition zones of 17, 18,19,18, 16 and14 mm for Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 , Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli ATCC25922 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. Significant statistic differences were recorded between the effects of different juice dilutions (p = 0.004) where the tested strains were completely resistant at the dilution 5%. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oil was 640 µg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus, while those of fresh juice were 640µg/ml for Escherichia coli strains, 1280µg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus strains and 2560µg/ml for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.