Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Antimicrobial Activities of Palm Kernel Oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and Castor Oil (Ricinus communis Linn.) on Uropathogens

Rita Ngozi Nweke, Bernard Uzoma Nweke, Precious Chidimma Onyeka

South Asian Journal of Research in Microbiology · pp. 85–96 · Published 27 Dec 2024

10.9734/sajrm/2024/v18i12410

Abstract

Aim: This study investigates the antimicrobial activities of castor bean oil and palm kernel oil against uropathogens, focusing on their potential as alternatives for treating urinary tract infections. Study Design: This study is a cross sectional research. Place and Duration of Study: Urine samples were collected from urinary tract infection (UTI) suspected patients at University of Nigeria Nsukka, Medical Centre. Fresh Castor bean (Ricinus communis) and palm kernel (Elaeis guineensis) were bought from Orba main market in Orba, Udenu Local Government of Enugu state. The plant products were transported to the Herbarium and authenticated by a plant taxonomist from the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state. The plant materials were transported to Microbiology laboratory, University of Nigeria, Nsukka for oil extraction and analysis from January to May, 2024. Materials and Methods: The urine samples were cultured on Eosin methylene blue agar, Mannitol agar and potatoes dextrose agar. The isolates were identified by morphological growth characteristics, biochemical tests and by Gram staining reaction. Castor bean oil and palm kernel oil extraction was done by semi-thermal process at a low temperature. The antimicrobial activities of the extracted oils against the isolates were carried out using the agar well diffusion method. Results: The presence of terpenoid, flavonoids and glycosides were observed in both PKO and CBO among others. The isolated uropathogens were identified as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The antimicrobial testing indicated that PKO was fully effective against S. aureus at all concentrations, 50% sensitivity against E. coli at 100mg/ml and 50 mg/ml; whereas C. albicans had 50% sensitivity at 100 mg/ml and 50mg/ml, but completely resistant at 25 mg/ml and 12.5mg/ml. PKO showed inhibition zone diameter (IZD) against S. aureus (16.5 mm) at 100 mg/m, 11 mm against C. albicans at 100 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml whereas 0 mm was observed at 25 mg/ml and 12.5 mg/ml. CBO had lower antimicrobial activities than PKO. The maximum IZD for CBO was against S. aureus (14 mm) and E. coli (11 mm) at 100 mg/ml concentration, while 0 mm IZD was observed against C. albicans. However, the combination of the 2 oils had no synergistic effect. Conclusion: The sensitivity of mostly S. aureus, then, E. coli to these oil extracts particularly PKO highlights a viable alternative in treating UTIs. The poor antimicrobial effects of the oils especially the CBO on the uropathogens could be attributed to the dissolution strength of the solvent, DMSO used in this study.

Uropathogens castor bean oil palm kernel oil phytochemicals antimicrobial activities and inhibition zone diameter

References (17)

  1. 1 Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity: A review [DOI]
  2. 2 District Laboratory Practice in Tropical Countries [DOI]
  3. 3 District Laboratory Practice in Tropical Countries [DOI]
  4. 4 Association Between Dietary Factors and Mortality From Heart Disease, Stroke, and Type 2 Diabetes in the United States [DOI]
  5. 5 Boswellia serrata, a potential antiinflammatory agent: an overview. [DOI]
  6. 6 Prevalence of Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections and Associated Factors among Patients Attending Hospitals in Bushenyi District, Uganda [DOI]
  7. 7 Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of polyphenols from Quercus bark [DOI]
  8. 8 Interactions with Microbial Proteins Driving the Antibacterial Activity of Flavonoids [DOI]
  9. 9 Uropathogens and their antimicrobial resistance patterns: Relationship with urinary tract infections.
  10. 10 MEDICINAL PLANTS USED AS ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS: A REVIEW
  11. 11 Evaluation of the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of oil from castor seeds (Ricinus communis Linn)
  12. 12 Antimicrobial Efficacy of Cinnamonum verum Essential Oil Alone and in Combination with Antibiotics and Other Essential Oils [DOI]
  13. 13 Antimicrobial activity of coconut water, oil and palm kernel oils extracted from coconut and palm kernel on some plasmid-mediated multi-drug resistant organisms associated with food spoilage [DOI]
  14. 14 Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Palm Kernel Oils Extracted from Varieties Dura and Tenera of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and the Relationship to Their Chemical Composition [DOI]
  15. 15 Antimicrobial activity of Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) on some selected members of enterobacteriaceae [DOI]
  16. 16 Screening and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Medicinal Plants [DOI]
  17. 17 Assessment of the Phytochemical Constituents and Antioxidant Properties of Oils from Dura and Tenera Varieties of Elaeis guineensis Fruits [DOI]

Cited by 1

Extraction of palm kernel oil rich in bioactive compounds from palm kernel employing supercritical carbon dioxide

Alvin Candra Febriansyah, Wahyudiono, M. D. Aranda Saldaña · Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering · 2026

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

47

Page views

0

PDF downloads

10

Outbound clicks

1

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.