The study was carried out to ascertain the antibacterial properties inherent in fermented seed extracts of
Ricinus communis
. Dry seeds of
R. communis (Castor oil plant) were deshelled, grounded to powder, fermented, and then extracted both with alcohol and water using Soxhlet machine. Different concentrations of the extracts were tested against selected bacteria using diffusion method of susceptibility testing on sensitivity testing agar medium.
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Escherichia coli
,
Proteus vulgaris
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
were highly susceptible to both the methanol and water extracts of the seed while
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
showed reduced susceptibility.
Enterococcus faecalis
on the other hand was resistant to all the preparations tested. The active antimicrobial ingredients in fermented
R. communis seeds should be identified while its medicinal value to humans properly investigated.
