IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CUCURBITA PEPO ON THE SELECTED BACTERIAL PATHOGEN AND ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMMUNITY AT GARA MULETA, GIRAWA, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

In developing countries, 80% of the population uses traditional medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs. Cucurbita pepo (known as Duba in Amharic and Baqul in Oromiffa language) is a widely used food and medicinal plant as a natural anti inflammatory, an antiviral agent and an analgesic to treat different types of public health related problems. Objective: To evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the selected bacterial pathogen and Ethnobotanical knowledge of the Community on Cucurbita pepo at Gara Muleta, Girawa, Eastern Ethiopia from April 30 to May 30, 2021. Methods: An experimental study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Cucurbita pepo‘s seed extracts by using three standard pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli) through disc diffusion and broth dilution technique. Total of 60 tests were done for all selected bacteria. Similarly, a community-based cross-sectional study design was carried out among 384 households of the Ethnobotanical knowledge of the community on Cucurbita pepo at Girawa town was assessed using a structured questionnaire Result: A total of 60 tests were done by three methods of extraction (water-based, methanol based, and chloroform) in different concentrations (higher, medium, and lower concentration). Water, methanol, and Chloroform extracts of Cucurbita pepo seed gave the maximum zones of inhibition of 9.0 mm, 12.0 mm, and 10.0 mm and MIC values of 18 mg/ml, 24 mg/ml, and 20 mg/ml, respectively, against P. aeruginosa and the strongest antimicrobial activity, was against P. aeruginosa. Out of the 384 study participants, 376(98.2%) of the participant have been knowledge of Cucurbita pepo seed with (P-value =0.94) and about 256(66.8%) of them have been no knowledge regarding on the Cucurbita pepo seed that kills bacteria with (P-value=0.52). Similarly, 240(62.5%) and 255(66.4) of the study participant have been no ideas on medical use and health benefit of Cucurbita pepo seed (P-value =0.83, 0.75) respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the methanol and chloroform extract of Cucurbita pepo seeds possess notable antibacterial activity, but water extract has shown no zone of inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus. According to the finding of this study, significant numbers of communities have not knowledgeable about Cucurbita pepo seed and are affected by educational status, duration of stay, and occupation