Antibacterial Effect of Honey and Lime Extract on Selected Pathogens

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the in vitro antibacterial activities of honey and lime extract on pathogens isolated from stool samples using ciprofloxacin as control. Identification of the isolates was carried out using molecular characterisation, the sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA region of the isolates using GenBank Basic Local Alignment Search Tool showed that the isolates are Bacillus cereus (ACCESSION MK011879.1), Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus (ACCESSION MK011878.1) and Bacillus anthracis (ACCESSION MK011880.1). The antibacterial susceptibility test was determined using the agar well diffusion method while the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were determined using the broth dilution and drop plate methods, respectively. The maximum mean zone diameter of inhibition was observed using lime extracts on B. anthracis with a mean zone diameter of inhibition (16 mm), followed by B. cereus (10 mm) and L. xylanilyticus (6 mm). Honey had antibacterial effect on B. cereus only with a mean zone diameter of inhibition of 4 mm. Lime extract had higher inhibitory and bactericidal effects than honey on the isolates with an MIC and MBC values of 20% v/v and 50% v/v, respectively which was observed on B. anthracis. Honey showed inhibitory and bactericidal effects on B. cereus only with an MIC and MBC values of 70%v/v and 99%v/v respectively. The findings showed that there was significant variation (P < 0.05) in the combination and single use of lime extract and honey. This suggests that crude extracts of lime and Honey can be used as alternative antibacterial therapy for the treatment of infections caused by the isolates.