MALETE, Nigeria—According to a new study published International Research Journal of Microbiology, palm wine was found to have antimicrobial properties, and compared favorably with methylated spirit, a known commercial disinfectant (2011;2(7):265-269). The antimicrobial property of palm wine was assayed on five bacteria: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aureginosa and a Bacillus sp with one fungus Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were determined using agar well diffusion method. The antimicrobial activity on these organisms was then compared with the action of methylated spirit.
Palm wine was found to be more active against the gram negative organisms (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aureginosa and Proteus mirabilis) than the gram positive organisms (Bacillus sp and Staphylococcus aureus). The action was bactericidal on the gram negative organisms while it was bacteristatic on the gram positive. Palm wine had no inhibitory or cidal action on Candida albicans, which is one of its resident organism.