Antibacterial Properties of Purple

Yam (Dioscorea alata) and Taro

(Colocasia esculenta L.) Peels
Against Selected Bacteria
  Antibiotic resistance is a growing public
health concern worldwide, and there is a
need to explore alternative sources of
antibacterial agents. Plants have been
Background of traditionally used as sources of medicine
the Study for thousands of years, and recent
studies have investigated the
antibacterial properties of various plant
parts, including peels.
 Purple yam (Dioscorea alata) and Taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) are two common
root vegetables consumed in many parts of the world, and their peels are usually
discarded as waste. However, these peels may contain bioactive compounds with
antibacterial properties that could be utilized in various applications, such as food
preservation or wound healing.
  Thus, this study aims to investigate the
antibacterial properties of purple yam and taro
Background of peels against selected bacteria which are the

the Study Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli,

and to explore their potential as natural
antibacterial agents.
  The increasing resistance of bacteria to existing
antibiotics has led to a search for alternative
antibacterial agents, including natural sources. The
peels of purple yam (Dioscorea alata) and taro
(Colocasia esculenta L.) have been identified as
potential sources of antibacterial compounds. However,
Statement of the there is a need to investigate the antibacterial properties
Problem of these peels against selected bacteria in order to
determine their potential for use as alternative
antibacterial agents. Therefore, this study aims to
evaluate the antibacterial properties of purple yam and
taro peels against selected bacteria, namely Escherichia
coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
  Specifically, this study sought to answer the following:
1. Do the peels of purple yam and taro possess
antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and
Staphylococcus aureus?
2. How effective are the antibacterial properties of purple

Statement of the yam and taro peels compared to existing antibiotics?

3. What are the specific compounds in purple yam and
Problem taro peels that exhibit antibacterial activity against the
selected bacteria?
4. How can the antibacterial properties of purple yam and
taro peels be optimized for potential use as alternative
antibacterial agents?
Proponents  Test Organisms
Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are the selected test
organisms for this study. These are commonly found in various
infections and are known to be resistant to many antibiotics.
Testing the antibacterial activity of the purple yam and taro peels
against these bacteria is important in identifying their potential
use as alternative antibacterial agents.
Proponents
 Test Specimens
The purple yam and taro peels are the test specimens for
this study. These peels have been identified as potential
sources of antibacterial compounds. By testing the
antibacterial activity of the peels, it is possible to determine
their potential for use as alternative antibacterial agents.
  Control Group
In this study, a control group could be a
commercially available antibiotic that is known
Proponents to be effective against the selected test organisms.
This is important in validating the results of the
study and ensuring that the microbiological assay
is working properly.
  Negative Control
In this study, a negative control could be a sterile
solvent that is used to dissolve the extracts from
Proponents the purple yam and taro peels. This is important
in ensuring that any antibacterial activity
observed in the extracts is not due to
contamination or other factors.
 This study aims to investigate the antibacterial
properties of purple yam (Dioscorea alata) and
Scope and taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) peels against

Delimitation selected bacteria, namely Escherichia coli,

Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa. The study will involve the following:
  Collection and Preparation of Test
Specimens
1. Collection of purple yam and taro peels from
Scope and the Vigan City Public Market
Delimitation 2. Cleaning and drying of the peels
3. Extraction of antibacterial compounds from
the peels using a suitable solvent
  Microbiological Assay
1. Preparation of bacterial cultures of
Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
2. Determination of antibacterial activity of
Scope and purple yam and taro peel extracts against the
Delimitation test organisms using the disc diffusion
method
3. Comparison of the antibacterial activity of the
extracts with that of a positive control
(commercial antibiotic) and a negative
control (sterile solvent)
  Data Analysis
1. Calculation of the diameter of the inhibition
zone for each extract and control

Scope and 2. Comparison of the inhibition zones for the

Delimitation extracts with those of the controls
3. Statistical analysis of the data using
appropriate tests
 This study is limited to the antibacterial
properties of purple yam and taro peels against
Scope and Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and
Delimitation Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the disc diffusion
method. The study does not cover the following:
 1. Identification and quantification of specific
antibacterial compounds present in the
extracts
2. Investigation of the mechanism of action of
Scope and the antibacterial compounds
Delimitation 3. Optimization of the extraction method to
maximize antibacterial activity
4. Evaluation of the toxicity or side effects of
the extracts on human or animal cells
 The study is also limited to the use of
commercially available laboratory equipment and
supplies, as well as locally sourced purple yam
Scope and and taro peels. The results may not be
Delimitation generalizable to other bacterial species, other
extraction methods, or other geographical
locations.
  Collection and Preparation of Samples:
Fresh purple yam and taro peels will be obtained
Methods and from a local market, washed with distilled water,
Procedure and air-dried. The dried peels will be ground into
a fine powder using a blender and stored in an
airtight container until further use.
  Extraction of Bioactive Compounds:
The powdered peels will be extracted using
ethanol as a solvent. The extraction will be done
Methods and using a Soxhlet apparatus. The extracted solution

Procedure will be filtered and evaporated to dryness using a

rotary evaporator. The resulting extracts will be
stored in a refrigerator at 4°C until further use.
  Bacterial Strains:
Two bacterial strains, Escherichia coli and
Methods and Staphylococcus aureus, will be used in this study.

Procedure These strains will be obtained from a

microbiology laboratory.
  Antibacterial Activity:
The antibacterial activity of the extracts will be
evaluated using the agar well diffusion method.
The bacterial strains will be inoculated onto
Mueller-Hinton agar plates. Wells will be created
Methods and on the plates, and different concentrations of the
Procedure extracts will be added into the wells. The plates
will be incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The
diameter of the zone of inhibition around the
wells will be measured and used as an indicator
of antibacterial activity.
  Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC):
The MIC of the extracts will be determined using
the broth dilution method. The bacterial strains
will be inoculated into Mueller-Hinton broth
Methods and containing different concentrations of the extract.
Procedure The tubes will be incubated at 37°C for 24 hours.
The MIC will be determined as the lowest
concentration of the extract that completely
inhibits bacterial growth.
  Data Analysis:
The data collected from this study will be
analyzed using statistical software. The results of
Methods and the antibacterial activity will be reported as the

Procedure mean diameter of the zone of inhibition ±

standard deviation. The MIC values will also be
reported as means ± standard deviation.
References: