Jackson Rafael Oliveira Peixoto

In vitro antibacterial effect of aqueous and ethanolic Moringa leaf extracts.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the antibacterial effect of aqueous and ethanolic moringa leaf extracts (Moringa oleifera) on the growth of gram-positive and negative bacteria. METHODS Paper disks were soaked with 100, 200, 300 and 400 μL of extract at 20 g/180 mL and 10 g/190 mL. All extracts were tested against Escherichia coli (ATCC25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923), Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853), Salmonella enteritidis (IH) and Aeromonas caviae. The susceptibility tests were performed using the modified disk diffusion method. RESULTS The strains E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. enteritidis (IH) were resistant to all treatments. In general, disks with 400 μL extract were the most efficient against S. aureus, V. parahaemolyticus, E. faecalis and A. caviae. CONCLUSIONS The study indicates a promising potential for aqueous and ethanolic Moringa leaf extracts as alternative treatment of infections caused by the tested strains.

Quantification and distribution of vibrio species in water from an estuary in Ceará-Brazil impacted by shrimp farming

. The pH value was the environmental factor most strongly associated with the abundance of vibrios. Sixty-two vibrio strains were isolated belonging to 15 species (6 of which observed in June-September and 8 in October). The most frequently isolated species were V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae .

THERMOTOLERANT COLIFORM DIE-OFF IN WATER TREATED WITH MORINGA OLEIFERA SEEDS

The objective of this study was to test the ability of moringa seeds (Moringa oleifera) to eliminate thermotolerant coliforms (TTC) in water samples from a contaminated river in Northeastern Brazil (Rio Acarau, Sobral). The treatment was administered in two concentrations: 5 g (T1) and 10 g (T2) homogenized seeds/1000 mL water. Twenty water samples were shaken continuously for 60 min and aliquots were drawn at 10, 20, 30 and 60 min to determine the most probable number of TC. The greatest die-off (99.9%) was observed for T1 at 20 min. Our findings show that moringa seeds are an effective means of eliminating coliforms and may be employed in bacterial decontamination of water bodies.