COMBINED ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF GINGER, AIDEN FRUIT, AND TURMERIC ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND CANDIDA ALBICANS
Abstract
This study aimed at combined antimicrobial activities of ginger, aiden fruit, and
turmeric on Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The increasing
prevalence of antimicrobial resistance has created an urgent need for alternative
therapeutic agents, particularly those derived from medicinal plants. This study
evaluated the antimicrobial activities of ginger (Zingiber officinale), aiden fruit
(Tetrapleura tetraptera), and turmeric (Curcuma longa) extracts, individually
and in combination, against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.
Ethanolic and aqueous extracts were prepared using standard maceration, while
antimicrobial activity was assessed by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration
(MBC/MFC), and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) assays. Results
showed that ethanolic extracts yielded higher recovery rates (15–20%) compared
to aqueous extracts (10–14%). Antimicrobial testing demonstrated stronger
inhibition with ethanol-based extracts, with turmeric ethanol recording 22 mm
and 20 mm zones against S. aureus and C. albicans respectively, compared to 18
mm and 16 mm for aqueous turmeric. Combinations of extracts enhanced
activity, with the three-way (Ginger + Aiden fruit + Turmeric) ethanol mixture
producing the largest inhibition zones (27 mm and 25 mm) and the lowest MIC
values (3.125 mg/ml for both organisms). FICI analysis confirmed synergy in
ethanol-based mixtures, with the strongest interaction observed in the three-way
(Ginger + Aiden fruit + Turmeric) extract (0.292 for C. albicans). The study
concludes that ethanol is a more effective solvent for extracting antimicrobial
phytochemicals, and that combining extracts enhances potency through synergy.
Future research should focus on in vivo testing, phytochemical profiling, and
formulation development to support the integration of these plant extracts into
modern antimicrobial therapy.
Keywords: Ginger, Aiden fruit, Turmeric, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida
albicans, antimicrobial synergy, MIC, inhibitory concentration index (FICI).
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