Antibacterial Activity Of Flesh And Peel Methanol Fractions Of Red Pitaya, White Pitaya And Papaya On Selected Food Microorganisms

Red pitaya is good source of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins associated with promoting health and reducing the risk for chronic diseases. Based on ethno pharmacological and taxonomic information, antibacterial activities of methanol fractions of peel and flesh of red pitaya, white pitaya and papaya were determined by discs diffusion assay method against some Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes, and Gram negative bacteria Salmonella enterica typhi, Serratia marcescens, Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The methanolic extract of red pitaya showed positively high exhibited antimicrobial activity against all tested food microorganisms especially on Staph. epidermidis, Staph. Aerues, Pseudo. Aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi. It has been showed that the methanol extracts may contain the active components. The present study supports, red pitaya flesh and peel has potential to be used as antibacterial treatment against pathogenic food microorganisms