INVESTIGATION ON THE ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIAL OF CRUDE EXTRACT OF CURCUMA LONGA (TUMERIC) ZINGIBER OFFICINALE (GINGER), ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) AND ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

This study investigated the antibacterial potential of crude extracts of turmeric (Curcuma longa), ginger (Zingiber officinale), onion (Allium cepa), and garlic (Allium sativum) against Staphylococcus aureus. The research aimed to identify the bioactive compounds present in the extracts and evaluate their inhibitory effects on the test organism. Both methanolic and aqueous extracts of the selected plants were prepared using standard extraction techniques, and phytochemical screening was carried out to determine the presence of key secondary metabolites. The antibacterial activities of the extracts were tested using the agar well diffusion method, with zones of inhibition measured in millimeters. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids in varying concentrations across the extracts. Alkaloids were universally detected in all samples, while saponins and steroids were mainly found in garlic and turmeric extracts. The antibacterial assay demonstrated that only the methanolic extract of garlic showed significant inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of inhibition of 15 mm, while all other extracts, including aqueous forms, showed no observable inhibition. This indicates that methanol is a more efficient solvent for extracting antibacterial compounds compared to water. The findings confirm that garlic possesses potent bioactive constituents capable of inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus, supporting its traditional use as a natural antimicrobial agent. The study concludes that methanolic garlic extract could serve as a promising candidate for developing alternative antibacterial therapies, and further research should be conducted to isolate and characterize the specific active compounds responsible for its efficacy.