Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF ALLIUM CEPA

Zafar Iqbal*, Khuram Shehzad, Shaista Nawaz and Momna Zahid

Abstract

Essential oil extraction from the stalk, fresh bulb and mature bulb of allium cepa was carried out through hydro-distillation using Linkersson apparatus. Antifungal activity of all the essential oil was carried out against aspergilus niger, aspergilus oryzae, fusarium oxysporium, aspergilus ficuum and penicillium while antibacterial activity was carried out against staphylococcus aureus, bacillus subtilis, escherichia coli, salmonella typhimurium and enterobacter aerogenes. The results revealed that mature bulb essential oil have maximum zone of inhibition against staphylococcus aureus (12.6 mm), bacillus subtilis (12.7 mm), escherichia coli (11.2 mm), salmonella typhimurium (3.6 mm) and enterobacter aerogenes (11.9 mm) while zone of inhibition of mature bulb essential oil against the fungal strain were aspergilus niger (13.6 mm), aspergilus oryzae (11.0 mm), fusarium oxysporium (12.1 mm), aspergilus ficuum (12.5 mm) and penicillium (12.8 mm) were respectively. Zone of inhibition of fresh bulb and fresh green stalk of essential oil of allium cepa were less as compared to mature bulb essential oil. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of mature bulb was high due to more concentration of chemical consitituents.

Keywords: Antioxidant, Fresh bulb, Alium Cepa L, Hydro-distilllation, Essential oil.