A study into the antibiotic effect of garlic Allium sativum on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus albus

A quantitative method involving colony counting was undertaken to assess the antibiotic effects of garlic Allium sativum on possible food‐borne bacteria. The investigation using garlic was targeted at higher education students planning an Independent Study or Dissertation into the antibacterial properties of food plants. The effect of concentrations of garlic varying from 0 per cent to 20 per cent in chicken stock, which had been inoculated with either E.coli B and S. albus, was investigated over three days. Bacterial numbers were reduced with increased garlic concentration and with the duration of incubation. Heating the garlic for 30 min at 100 C destroyed its anti‐bacterial activity.