Date of Completion

2024

Document Type

Research Project

Degree Name

Grade 12

Keywords

Syzygium samarangense, Muntingia calabura, ethanolic leaf extract, antibacterial, synergistic

Abstract

In an attempt to battle pathogenic bacteria, alternative treatments have been investigated, including the use of different natural compounds. Based on different data from studies, it is understood that both the Syzygium samarangense (Makopa) and Muntingia calabura (Aratiles) plants possess properties that can combat gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. However, little is known about how these specific extracts work together against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; therefore, this study focused on the combined antibacterial properties of ethanolic leaf extracts from these two plants against the said bacteria. The study used the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion procedure, a well-known technique for determining a bacteria's sensitivity to antibiotics, to evaluate the antibacterial efficiency of the various synergistic ethanolic leaf extracts, utilizing a true-experimental research design. The results indicated no inhibition of bacterial growth at three different concentrations and ratios of the combined extracts, suggesting that they were ineffective. Potential reasons for this outcome are the phenolic compounds interacting with other plant components, which might result in antagonistic effects that are hypothesized to have interfered with the antibacterial extract's movement, thereby impacting its effectiveness. Additional research is suggested to investigate alternative combinations of plant extracts and to study their effectiveness against a wider range of bacterial strains.

First Advisor

Myra Michelle M. Mojica

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