Antibacterial Properties of Mixture Honey and Garlic (Allium sativum) Extracts Against Respiratory Tract Infection Causing Bacteria

In Ethiopia, different local communities use mixture of honey and garlic to treat coughing and other respiratory tract infections by traditional methods. Objective of the present study was to assess the antibacterial properties of mixture of honey and garlic extract against respiratory tract infection causing bacteria. The antibacterial activity of mixture of garlic extract and honey was evaluated by methods such as agar well diffusion method to observe zone of inhibition around the well as well as broth dilution method to evaluate the minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts against the tested organisms. Five respiratory tract infection causing bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenza and Staphylococcus aureus were included in the study. Chloramphenicol was used as standard antibiotics. Mean inhibition zones of mixture of garlic extract and honey was significantly (P 0.05) greater than honey alone against the tested pathogens. The range of zone of inhibitions of mixture of garlic and honey against the tested bacteria was between 25 to 31 mm whereas the range of inhibition zone of chloramphenicol was from 9 to 30 mm. The inhibition capacity of mixture of garlic extract and honey was greater than the commercial antibiotics such as Co-trimoxazole, Cefoxitin and Erythromycin. Finally it may be possible to conclude that, mixture garlic extract and honey has the capacity to treat respiratory tract infection causing bacteria.