Bacteriostatic Effect of Fresh Coconut Husk Smoke Residue on Inoculated Glass Slides Contaminated with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

The study determines the potential of coconut husk smoke residue as a passive bacteriostatic agent against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This study utilized an experimental-comparative design to evaluate the antibacterial activityof smoke residueobtained from fresh, mature coconut husks. Microscope glass slides were exposed to the smoke residue and inoculated with bacterial suspensions, with comparisons made among treated,untreated, and positive control groups based on colony-forming unit (CFU/mL) counts.Due to non-normal data distribution, the Kruskal-Wallis H test and Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction were applied. Findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in CFU/mL of Staphylococcus aureus on treated surfaces(p = .002), indicating a bacteriostatic effect.However, no significant difference was observed for Escherichia coli (p= .982). Theseresults suggest that while coconut husk smoke residue exhibits antibacterial potential, its effectremains inconsistent and insufficient as a reliable alternative to conventional disinfection methods in practical applications. Further studies are recommended to standardize experimental conditions, improve detection methods, and identify the active compounds responsible for its antimicrobial activity and overall efficacyin different microbial environments tested. Additionally, future research may explore variations in exposure time, concentration of smoke residue, and environmental factors that could influence antibacterial performance and reproducibility of results