Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) Ethanolic Tissue Extract against Selected Enteric Pathogens

Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract infections caused by pathogenic microorganisms have a significant role in the global increase in mortality. This issue sparked an investigation into metabolites derived from numerous organisms that may have antimicrobial property against bacterial infections. The Kirby-Bauer Disc Diffusion method was used to test the extract of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) against enteric bacteria. The results indicate that the ethanolic extract of P. americana exhibited antimicrobial activity against the test pathogens, with the greatest inhibitory activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus (p = 0.00013) and Candida albicans (p = 0.000911), when compared to the antibiotic controls Rifampicin, Trimethoprim, Ofloxacin, Penicillin, and antifungal drug Nystatin. However, there was no evidence of inhibitory activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enteritidis, and Serratia marcescens. Thus, the current findings indicate that P. americana tissue extract may have antibacterial activity against medically important pathogens.