The Effects of Allium Sativum and Zingiber Officinale Extracts on Shigella Dysenteriae Isolated from Ready-To-Eat Fried Chicken Sold in Ihiala L.G.A, Anambra State

Abstract

A number of reports have shown that foods vended on streets including fast foods meant for immediate consumption can have high incidence of pathogenic bacteria which can pose serious public health problems to the consumers and may result to different disease conditions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale seed extracts on Shigella dysenteriae isolated from ready-to-eat fried chicken sold in Ihiala L.G.A., Anambra State. A total of 21 samples were collected from street hawkers (9 samples) and fast foods (12 samples) joints and plated on Salmonella Shigella Agar (SSA) using pour plated method at appropriate growth conditions. The bacterial isolate was characterized and identified using colonial descriptions and biochemical reactions. The phytochemical constituents of the extracts of Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale were determined quantitatively using spectrophotometric method. Tube dilution method was used to determine the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) using double-fold serial dilutions at concentrations 25mg/ml to 400mg/ml. The phytochemical analysis of Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, steroids and cardiac glycosides. The ethanolic extracts of both plants showed more activity (9.00 mm, 10.70 mm) than their aqueous extracts (7.30 mm, 7.70 mm) and their activity differed significantly (p< 0.05) from that of the ciprofloxacin (21.30 mm). The MICs (200 mg/ml, 400 mg/ml; 200 mg/ml, 400 mg/ml) and MBCs (400 mg/ml, Nil; 400 mg/ml, Nil) values revealed the inhibitory activities of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale and cidal activities of their ethanolic extracts. The study recommends personal and environmental hygiene as preventive measures against bacterial contamination of foods and suggests that Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale could be used as alternative therapy for diseases associated with Shigella dysenteriae.