Authors: Sachin Gihar
Abstract: Background: Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is widely recognized for its medicinal properties, particularly its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities (Oloyede, 2009). Its dried powder and plant extracts are increasingly studied for potential applications in food safety and natural therapeutics up through the year 2018 (Boukhatem et al., 2014). Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to prepare dried lemongrass powder, evaluate its chemical composition, produce both aqueous and alcoholic extracts, and assess the active phytochemical compounds and their antimicrobial activity against selected pathogenic bacteria. Materials and Methods: Chemical analyses determined moisture, protein, fat, ash, and mineral content (Uraku et al., 2016). Extracts were tested against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus (Naik et al., 2010). Phytochemical screening identified phenols, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and saponins. Results: Lemongrass powder showed 70.66% moisture, 7.33% protein, 2.24% fat, and 5.33% ash. Potassium (130 mg/100g) was the most abundant mineral. The alcoholic extract demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity, exhibiting a 20.8 mm inhibition zone against S. aureus versus 11.9 mm for the aqueous extract (Danlami et al., 2011). Conclusion: The alcoholic extract of lemongrass is rich in bioactive compounds and serves as a potent natural antimicrobial alternative, supported by vast literature leading up to 2018.
