Phytochemical Constituents and Antibacterial activity of Ginger (Zingiber officianale) Extract on Selected Clinical Isolates Associated with Urinary Tract Infections (UTIS)

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officianale) is a rhizome that is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of cold, fever, stomach disorder, diarrhoea and jaundice and as skin cleanser. To evaluate the scientific basis for the use of the plant, this study  investigated the phytochemical constituents of the plant. The phytochemical constituents of the dried powdered ginger plant parts were extracted using aqueous and organic solvents (ethanol and methanol).The antimicrobial activities of extracts of the plant were evaluated against some selected clinical isolates associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs) using the agar well diffusion method. The isolation, characterization and identification of the bacteria isolates were carried out using standard techniques of streak plate and biochemical tests. The results of the phytochemical studies revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids and steroids. The bacteria isolates characterized and identified were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp. The ginger extracts were active (inhibitory) against all the test isolates. The studies on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts on the test isolates showed that the lowest MIC  were demonstrated against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella sp while the highest MIC at 50mg/ml  was exhibited against only  Escherichia coli. Ginger (Zingiber officianale) showed medicinal efficacy against the test isolates. This justified the ethnobotanical use of Zingiber officianale extract and its medical importance.