The search for novel components with antibacterial potential has recently gained increasing significance due to growing worldwide bacterial infections by antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Therapeutic plants are crucial to human health due to their antiseptic potential against bacterial pathogens. Botanical sources have benefitted healthcare for many years due to the various active compounds present, such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids. This study seeks to report the antibacterial potential of Cuminum cyminum against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. The research proceeded with the use of methanolic extract of C. cyminum preparation using the Soxhlet extraction technique. Formulating five concentrations (150, 180, 200, 220, and 250 mg/ml) used deionized water and incurred testing at varying temperatures (40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, and 121 °C) and pH (3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 pH) ranges. The well-diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration helped analyze the antimicrobial properties of C. cyminum methanolic extract as observed against selected bacterial strains. The results’ analysis engaged the one-way ANOVA. It was evident that the maximum effect of plant extract against E. coli, B. subtilis, and B. cereus was at 200 mg/ml and against Staph. aureus, a maximum zone emerged at 180 mg/ml. At varying temperatures, the maximum inhibition of E. coli, Staph. aureus, and B. cereus occurred at 121 °C, with B. subtilis inhibited at 80 °C. For pH changes, it revealed that all strains were sensitive to acidic pH (3) at both concentrations (150 and 250 mg/ml).

Keywords: Cuminum cyminum, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus

Key findings: This study concluded that methanolic extracts of C. cyminum showed growth inhibition in all test strains. This inhibition might be due to cell membrane damages (caused by C. cyminum extract) leading to the restricted growth of the bacterial strain. Further studies need pursuits to validate this damage. This study also reported that C. cyminum methanolic extract proved effective against B. cereus compared with the other strains. The plant extract’s characterization also appeared at various ranges of temperature and pH.