Abstract

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ALOE VERA GEL AND ANTIBIOTICS AGAINST ISOLATES FROM FAST FOOD

Rudrangshu Chatterjee*, Dushyant Singh, Amita Gaurav Dimri, Ankita Pandita, Shiwani Chaudhary and M.L.Aggarwal

ABSTRACT

Aloe vera is reputed to have medicinal properties. For centuries, it has been used for an array of ailments such as mild fever, wounds and burns, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, sexual vitality and fertility problems to cancer, immune modulation, AIDS and various skin diseases. In present study antibacterial activity of Aloe vera gel extracts were tested against common foodborne pathogens i.e. Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For this purpose commonly available twelve different fast food samples i.e Chow mine, Momo, Spring roll, Chat, Pani Puri, Aalu-Tikki, Veg Sandwich, Burger, Paovaji, Veg Patties, Bhelpuri and Bread Pakora were collected from suburb of Delhi. Antibiotic resistance and susceptibility pattern of above isolates were also studied against five clinically significant antibiotics (Meropenem, Erythromycin, Cefoperazone, Ciprofloxacin and Doxycycline). Meropenem was found to be most effective antibiotic followed by Cefoperazone with 100% efficacy. In case of Erythromycin 100% efficacy was shown against gram positive bacteria while gram negative bacteria have shown resistance against it. Aloe vera leaves gel were extracted with four different solvents like Methanol, Ethanol, Chloroform and Di- chloro methane (DCM), however Gram-positive isolates were found 100% susceptible with methanol extract whereas no inhibition was observed with chloroform and DCM extract. Moderate sensitivity observed with ethanol extract against both Gram -positive as well as Gram -negative bacterial isolates. Aloe vera gel showed greater antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacterial isolates as compared to Gram-negative bacterial isolates.

Keywords: Aloe vera, Fast food, Antibiotics, Susceptibility, Resistance, Agar well diffusion assay, MAR index.