Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Dried Allium cepa Bulb

Allium cepa (onion) is an important plant utilized in everyday foods and is valued by the community for its traditional therapeutic applications. Although it is cultivated all over the world, the plant is thought to be native to Asia. The purpose of the study was to use qualitative phytochemistry to screen Allium cepa extracts against specific bacterial strains. The homogenized, fresh bulbs were extracted in two concentrations of 5mg/ml and 10mg/ml. Ciprofloxacin was used as the standard drug. Further, the phytochemical analysis of plant extracts was also carried out. All the extracts exhibited efficacy against the selected bacterial strains by showing the zones of inhibitions ranging between 15 to 30 mm. Positive results for steroids, glycosides, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, resins, oils, carbohydrates, and protein were obtained via phytochemical examination. The extract had 91.05% moisture, 80.6% carbohydrates, 3.2% total sugar, 3.90% protein, and an acidity of 2.1%. The results support usage of this plant to treat a variety of infections.