THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF n-C6H14 AND CH3CH2OH EXTRACT OF SOLANUM MELONGENA FRUIT AND LEAVES OF MORINGA OLEIFERA

As part of a research initiative to evaluate plants used for their nutritional and herbal values, the antimicrobial activity of Solanum Melongena’s fruit and Moringa oleifera’s leaveswere investigated. Each plant part was subjected to selective extraction using solvents of varying polarity: n-C₆H₁₄, CH₂Cl₂, EtOAc and CH₃CH₂OH. The n-C₆H₁₄ and CH₃CH₂OH extract of these two plants were tested for their antimicrobial activity at three different concentrations of 5%, 10% and 20% of crude extracts against three pathogenic bacterial strains:  Eschericia coli, Staphyloccocus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae using the Disc diffusion assay. Both n-C₆H₁₄ and CH₃CH₂OH extracts showed antibacterial activity at a higher concentration of 20% of crude extract. The order of bacteria susceptibility to Moringa oleifera extract been S. aureus > K. pneumoniae > E. coli whereas that for Solanum Melongena extract been S. aureus > E. coli > K. pneumonia. The area of zone of inhibition ranges from 44.15 mm² to 53.55 mm². These investigations suggest that the extracts of Moringa oleifera and Solanum Melongena can be used as antibacterial agents in addition to their nutritional value.