ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF CLEOME VISCOSA ETHANOLIC EXTRACT AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND PROTEUS MIRABILIS

This research investigates the antimicrobial activities of Cleome viscosa against Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus species, two common pathogenic bacteria responsible for infections in Nigeria. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Cleome viscosa were tested using agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. Fresh leaves of Cleome viscosa were collected, dried, pulverized, and extracted using ethanol, yielding a dark green, semi-solid crude extract with a mass of 12.6 g from 50 g of powdered leaves. Antibacterial susceptibility testing using the agar well diffusion method showed that the ethanolic extract exhibited a clear concentration-dependent inhibitory effect against both organisms. The highest concentration (200 mg/mL) produced inhibition zones of 18 mm against S. aureus and 19 mm against P. mirabilis, while lower concentrations showed progressively reduced activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract for both organisms was determined to be 50 mg/mL, while the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 100 mg/mL. The findings confirm the ethnomedicinal relevance of Cleome viscosa in Nigeria and its potential as a source of plant-based antimicrobials.