Synergistic-antagonistic antibacterial potential of chitosan composites with <i>Moringa oleifera</i> leaf powder

Abstract

Chitosan is very useful in everyday life in adsorption, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, flocculants, anticancer and antimicrobial.In this study, chitosan was synthesized from chitin extracted from crayfish. The methods such as deproteinization, demineralization, and deacetylation respectively were used in the synthesis of chitosan from crayfish. Antimicrobial activity was studied and it was found that chitosan and Moringaleaf powder were good in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms; confirmed by the results obtained from the experiments. In evaluating the antimicrobial activity, the serial dilution method was used towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Proteus bulgaris and Streptococcus pneumonia. The antibacterial activity of chitosan composite with the leaf powder of Moringa oleifera Lam., was determined, using well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration determination method. The composites show the synergistic effect at the higher chitosan to lower Moringa concentration and antagonistic effect at higher Moringa to lower chitosan concentrations in all the test organisms. The consequences of this research suggest that the chitosan, Moringa leaf powder, and their composites can be used to discover an antibacterial agent for developing new pharmaceuticals to control studied human pathogenic bacteria responsible for severe illness. Moringa oleiferais widely used in food and folk medicine; while chitosan is widely useful in food, detergents, textiles, leather, paper, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. Synergism/antagonism of Moringa-chitosan composites was based on concentrations on the tested organisms.

Keywords: Antimicrobial, Biopolymer, Health, Synergism/antagonism