Antimicrobial Activities of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extracts on Bacterial Pathogens Isolated from “Ready to Eat Meat Pie” Sold in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria

This study was designed to isolate bacterial pathogens from meat pie and determine the antimicrobial activities of Moringa oleifera leaf extracts on the isolates. Different meat pie samples were purchased from different locations in Aba while the Moringa oleifera leaf was gotten from Clifford University Ihie campus, Abia State environment. Pour plate technique was used to culture the organisms after ten - fold serial dilution. The sample from Ariaria had the highest mean bacterial count of 3.7 x 107 cfu/g followed by Ngwa road sample with 7.2 x 106 cfu/g, Osisioma sample had 3.10 x 106 cfu/g, the Asa road sample 2.5 x 105 cfu/g, Ihie sample had 2.3 x 104 cfu/g while sample from Alaojii had the least with 1.12 x 104 cfu/g. Antibacterial potential was determined using the agar well diffusion method. Antimicrobial potentials of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of M. oleifera on the isolates were tested at various concentrations (500, 250, 125,62.25, 31.125 and 15.625 mgml-1). Four bacterial species (E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyrogen and Bacillus cereus) where isolated. Both ethanol and aqueous extracts showed strong antimicrobial activity and concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the isolates. At a concentration of 500 mg/ml, zones of inhibition recorded were highest with aqueous extracts for Bacillus cereus (17.00±.01 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (15.41±1.55 mm), Streptococcus pyrogen has (11.00±0.31mm) while the least was E. coli (10.30±0.21mm). Ethanol extract also showed zones of inhibitions as E. coli had the highest at 500 mg/ml (25.00±0.03 mm) followed by Streptococcus pyrogen (17.10±0.04 mm), Bacillus cereus (16.00±0.21 mm) and the least was Staphylococcus aureus (15.42±0.41 mm). Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) at 250 mg/ml was observed for Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyrogen for ethanol extract. In contrast, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Streptococcus pyrogen showed MIC at 500 mg/ml for aqueous extract respectively. All the bacterial isolates recorded Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) at 500 mg/ml except for Bacillus cereus which recorded at 250 mg/ml for both MIC and MBC, respectively. The result of this study showed that M. oleifera leaf extract can be a potential source of an antimicrobial agent against bacteria implicated in the spoilage of meat pie.