ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS OF BACTERIA TO SEED EXTRACTS OF RICINUS COMMUNIS: FINDINGS OF A PRELIMINARY STUDY IN NIGERIA

Aim To ascertain the antibacterial properties inherent in seed extracts of Ricinus communis. Procedure Dry seeds of R. communis were deshelled, grounded to powder and extracted both with alcohol and water using Soxhlet machine. Different concentrations of the extracts were tested against selected bacteria using diffusion method of susceptibility testing on sensitivity testing agar medium. Results Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis were highly susceptible to both the methanol and water extracts of the seed while Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed reduced susceptibility. Conclusion The active antimicrobial ingredients in R. communis should be identified while its medicinal value to humans properly investigated in this regard