Background: Allium sativum, commonly known as “garlic”, is a widely used plant with a rich history of medicinal applications across various cultures. This study assessed the antibacterial activity of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Allium sativum on selected ocular bacterial isolates. Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective laboratory study whereby ocular bacteria swabs samples from infected patients were taken to the Microbiology Laboratory for culturing and identification of microorganisms. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Allium sativum, and ciprofloxacin which served as a control were prepared at various concentrations and their antibacterial activity was tested against the selected bacteria which include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridans, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results: The ethanolic extract of Allium sativum produced zones of inhibition for all bacteria isolated at concentrations of 100, 50, and 25 mg/ml. No zones of inhibition were observed at 12.5 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml. The aqueous extract of Allium sativum produced zones of inhibition at concentrations of 100 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml against all the bacteria isolated. No zones of inhibition were observed at concentrations of 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/ml. Ciprofloxacin, which served as a control, produced zones of inhibition at all concentrations against the selected ocular bacterial isolates and showed a significantly higher mean zone of inhibition (P ˂ 0.05) than the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Allium sativum. Conclusion: Allium sativum showed antibacterial activity against the selected ocular bacterial isolates, highlighting its potential as an alternative ophthalmic medication for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Azuamah et al. (Mon,) studied this question.