Abstract Three solvents extracts of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya were used to inhibit ten pathogenic bacteria. The ten bacteria investigated in this research were: Shigella Sonei, Streptococcus Pyrogenes, Escherichiacoli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphybcpccus aureus, Salmonella enteridis, Basilius cereus, Streptococcus faecalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Shigella dysenteriae. Three solvents were used in the extraction of active ingredientsin flower and stalk of male Carica papaya and they are distilled water, ethanol and n-hexane. Aqueous extract of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya could inhibit the ten test bacteria. These are: Fusarium verticilloids and Fusarium oxysporum. Ethanolic extract could not inhibit one out of ten test bacteria (Salmonella enteriditis). n-hexane extract could not inhibit three out of the ten test bacteria (S. Pyrogenes, S. enteriditis and N. gonorrhoeae). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ten bacteria investigated as mentioned above using three solvents were: aqueous extract, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.35±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml and 0.05±0.01 mg/ml respectively. The MIC for ethanolic extract were: 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.25±0.01 mg/ml, 0.25±0.03 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, no inhibition, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml and 0.05±0.01 mg/ml respectively. The MIC for n-hexane extract are: 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, no inhibition, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.35 0.01, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, no inhibition 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml no inhibition and 0.05±0.01 mg/ml respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for ten test bacteria as mentioned above were: for aqueous extract 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.30±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, 0.15±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, and 0.03±0.01 mg/ml respectively. The MBC for ethanolic extract were: 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.3±0.01 mg/ml, 0.02±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, no inhibition, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml, 0.02±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml and 0.02±0.01 mg/ml respectively. The MBC for n-hexane extract were: 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, no inhibition, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.02±0.01 mg/ml, 0.03±0.01 mg/ml no inhibition, no inhibition, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, 0.05±0.01 mg/ml, no inhibition, and 0.03±0.01 respectively. Hence, crude solvent extracts of flower and stalk of male Carica papaya are antibiotic in nature.
Keywords Male Carica papaya, flower and stalk, bacteria, zone of inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).