ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF COCONUT EXTRACT ON SELECTED MICROBIAL ISOLATES

Abstract

Antimicrobial activity of twenty (20) samples of oil and milk extracts from four varieties of Cocos nucifera (Green dwarf, Yellow dwarf, Orange dwarf and Tall) was studied. The oil extracts were obtained using solvent extraction method with hexane. Antimicrobial susceptibility test on both coconut extracts were tested against the following bacterial and fungal isolates: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger, using the agar-well diffusion method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of both extracts. After 24 hours of incubation, the oil extracts demonstrated higher levels of antimicrobial properties than the milk. The mean values of zone of inhibition for orange dwarf oil coconut extract for Escherichia coli 10.80mm, Candida albicans for green dwarf oil was 10.80mm, tall oil (08.20mm) and yellow darf oil (11.00mm) respectively. However, Aspergillus niger showed the least inhibition response to all the extract value. There was no statistical difference in the values of the minimal inhibitory concentration of the different extracts used (P > 0.05). Therefore, the use of coconut extract as an ointment in body creams and inclusion of coconut oil and milk would perhaps reduce the microbial content of our everyday diet.