ANTIBACTERIAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF YOUNG COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, KLEBSIELLA AND PSEUDOMONAS.

ABSTRACT The study aimed to investigate the presence of Staphylococcus aureus on surfaces and its transmission in the environment, as well as the antibacterial activity of coconut extracts against four bacterial strains. The results showed that the coconut extract contains a range of bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and steroids. The antibacterial activity of the coconut water and aqueous extract was significant against all four bacterial strains, with the aqueous extract showing a broader spectrum of activity. The study found that coconut water has impressive antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, but not against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The aqueous extract, on the other hand, has antibacterial activities against S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli. The result in table 2 shows the diameter of the zone of inhibition of coconut extracts against E. coli, k. pneunoniae, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa at 200mg/ml. The result that coconut water has impresser antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa (18.0 ± 2.0 um) followed by Klebsiella pneuoiue (9.0± 0.0 um). However, the coconut water has no activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Aqueous extract at 200mg/ml concentration has no antibacterial effect on P. aeruginosa. On the other hand, the aqueous extract has antibacterial activities against S. aureus (16.5± 0.5 um) K. pneunoniae (14.0± 1.0 um) and Escherichia coli (12.5 ± 0.5 um). The findings suggest that coconut extracts may be a useful natural source of antibacterial agents, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria such as S. aureus. The study recommends further research to isolate and characterize the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the antibacterial activity and to determine the optimal extraction conditions for maximum activity.