Asian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro antibacterial potential of ethanolic leaf extract of Moringa oleifera on bacteria organisms isolated from at 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml concentration. The antibacterial potential of ethanolic leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera were determined against bacteria isolated from the body of Clarias gariepinus. The leaf of Moringa oleifera was extracted with 99.9% ethanol and distilled deionized water and reconstituted at 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml concentrations. The phytochemical analysis carried out on the leaf extract of Moringa oleifera reveals the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, oxalates and phytate. The micro-organisms isolated include; Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp. Antibacterial testing was by agar well diffusion method. The highest zone of inhibition mm achieved with ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera at concentration of 200 mg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus while the lowest zone of inhibition was mm at 50mg/ml concentration. The highest and lowest zone of inhibition and mm at concentrations of 200 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml was achieved with ethanolic leaf extract of Moringa oleifera against Escherichia coli, the highest and lowest zone of inhibition was  and mm at concentrations of 200 mg/ml and 100mg/ml, respectively. There was no susceptibility to the organisms at concentration 25 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml for Salmonella spp with Moringa oleifera leaf extract. The most susceptible organism was Staphylococcus aureus and the least susceptible was Salmonella spp. The presence of the phytochemicals in Moringa oleifera supports the use of this leaf extract as an antibacterial agent at higher concentration which might justify its ethno-medicinal use.