Antibacterial activity of lemon (Citrus limon) against staphylococcus aureus and escherichia coli / Nur Afiqah Mohd Azali and Latifah Munirah Bakar

Citrus limon also referred as lemon is a fruit-bearing member of the Rutaceae family and a significant medicinal plant. Compounds derived from citrus limon from the extraction process are useful as antibiotic components to combat infections. As bacterial strains become more and more resistant to antibiotics nowadays, finding an alternative to antibiotics as a treatment for bacteria especially causing food poisoning and diarrhoea is crucial. The purpose of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of Citrus limon peel extract against foodborne pathogens, mainly S. aureus and E. coli. The sem ethanol-based lemon extract was tested for antibacterial activity using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The serial dilution was performed to estimate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value of lemon peel extracts against S. aureus and E. coli which exhibited different values of MIC and MBC for S. aureus and E. coli. From the data, it clearly shows that ethanol extract of Citrus limon peel contains powerful inhibition towards pathogenic microorganisms especially S. aureus and E. coli. Increase the concentration of extracts is best recommended for upcoming studies of antimicrobial activity of fruit Citrus limon.