ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF CARICA PAPAYA L. LEAVES’ ON SOME HUMAN PATHOGENS

Carica papaya leaves extracts were prepared with water (aqueous), methanol and n-hexane solvents. They were investigated for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, Burkholderia cepacia, and Klebsiela pneumoniae using agar diffusion method. Standard antibiotic (Chloramphenicol) was used as positive control. The aqueous extract did not show significant activity against E. coli, S. aureus and K. pneumonia (10.67 mm, 10.67 mm and 10.66 mm zone of inhibition respectively) but the leaves extracts made from methanol and N-hexane solvents had significant activities against the test bacteria especially Enterobacter cloacae having 20.67 mm zone of inhibition. The standard antibiotic which was the positive control demonstrated highest activity against all the Gram-negative bacteria than the Gram-positive bacteria tested, with the highest activity demonstrated against Escherichia coli and Klebsiela pneumonia (40.66 mm and 40.33 mm zone of inhibition respectively). All the extracts demonstrated positive activities against the Gram-negative bacteria than the Gram-positive bacteria tested. The results suggested that the extracts of C. papaya leaves could be considered as potentially effective antibacterial agents against Gram-negative bacteria.