Preliminary Investigation Associated with Antibacterial Potency of Both Juice Extract and an Isolate from Aloe vera Gel

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of both the juice extract and an isolate of Aloe vera leaves of gel from Ghana on clinical isolate bacteria found to prolong wound infections.

Methods: Using sharp knife, the rind (outer cover) of the leaf and the layer immediately below the rind were removed to obtain the internal gel matrix portion (fillet). The isolate was precipitated from propylene glycol of the Aloe juice extract and was used to inhibit Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Agar diffusion bioassay was used for inhibitory test of both the whole aloe juice and the isolate against E. coli and S. aureus.

Results: Our findings exhibited that there was no significant difference in activity of both the isolate and the whole juice on E. coli at all concentrations used. S. aureus was resistant to both the isolate and the whole juice at all concentrations used, compared with the positive control, chloramphenicol which showed an intermediary zone of inhibition of 13.5 mm at a concentration of 10 g/L. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at (P ≤0.05) of the diameter zone of inhibition values compared with the activity of Chloramphenicol (positive control) indicated significant inhibitory activity by both the isolate and the whole juice extract against E. coli thus suggesting their efficacy in treating E. coli infections within the concentration used in this inhibitory studies.

Conclusion: Both the A. vera juice extract and the isolate showed high activity against E. coli. These seem to justify the widespread use of the plant in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and its application in many pharmaceutical products.