Antibacterial Potency of Fractions from <em>Psidium guajava</em> Leaves and Bark Crude Extracts against Bacterial Isolates Responsible for Foodborne Infection

Abstract

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a common fruit tree that grows in several tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The aim of this study was to employ the use of liquid-liquid fractionation to investigative the comparative antibacterial potential of crude extracts of Guava leaves and bark against selected food isolates; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumonia, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The phytochemical analysis of the extract showed presence of tannin, phenol, flavonoid and terpenoid in all extract, while steroid and saponin were absent in some. The agar diffusion method was employed for the assessment of the sensitivity of the extracts. The ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions from the stem bark acetone extract generally showed better antimicrobial activity compared with other extracts from leaves. The extract was active both against gram positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Streptococcus pneumonia) and gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, , Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) at varying zone of inhibition. The results of the study showed the potential of identifying novel antibacterial agent from P. guajava bark and leaves while optimising the potential application for treatment in traditional medicine.

The Effect of Hand Washing Soap with Soursop Leaf and Guava Leaf Extract on Staphylococcus aureus Bacteria

“…Saponins can also act as antibacterials with their ability to cause the lysis of bacterial cells. In addition, guava leaves (Psidium guajava L.) also contain secondary metabolites such as tannins and saponins, which have an antibacterial mechanism by damaging the bacterial cell membrane (Gideon, 2023;Ndako et al, 2023;Ngwanguong et al, 2023;Rajad et al, 2023). In developing handwashes based on natural ingredients, the potential of these natural ingredients needs to be further explored through comprehensive research to understand the antibacterial effects in detail and the potential side effects associated with their use.…”