Abstract

This study investigated the antibacterial efficacy of crude and ethanolic extracts of selected medicinal plants including Carica papaya, Azadirachta indica (Neem), Allium sativum (garlic), Moringa oleifera (Moringa), Zingerber officinale (ginger) and Aloe vera against Salmonella gallinarum, a major pathogen in poultry responsible for fowl typhoid. Antibacterial activity was assessed through zone of inhibition assays and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The ethanolic extract generally exhibited strongest antibacterial activity than their crude extracts. Papaya ethanolic leaf extract demonstrated the highest efficacy (zone of inhibition 24 mm and low MIC value) effectively inhibiting Salmonella gallinarum growth. In contrast, Moringa oleifera showed weaker antibacterial effect in both forms as indicated by the smaller zone of inhibition and higher MIC values. Notably, enrofloxacin used as reference antibiotic exhibited lower activity than Carica papaya, which outperformed it against Salmonella gallinarum. These findings suggest that ethanolic extracts enhance the bioavailability of antibacterial phytochemicals and support the potential of plant-based therapeutics. The study highlights the promising use of ethanolic plant extracts, especially Carica papaya as natural antibacterial agents for controlling Salmonella gallinarum infection in poultry.