Abstract

Background:
Opportunistic Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) may cause a range of infections in humans and animals, from self-limiting to life-threatening. S. aureus might be acquired from food via contaminated hands or food contact surfaces. Orange peel extract has various therapeutic uses.

Aim:
This study aimed to estimate the antibacterial activity of orange peel extract against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in vitro by measuring the inhibition zone and MIC.

Methods:
Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from food contact surfaces on mannitol salt agar in Kufa, Iraq. An aqueous extract of orange peel was prepared. The antimicrobial activities of the orange peel extracts against the recovered S. aureus isolates were tested using the agar well diffusion method by measuring the diameters of the inhibition zone on nutrient agar.

Results:
The results showed significant antibacterial activity (P

Key words: Orange peel extract; Staphylococcus aureus; Antibacterial activity; Antibiotics; Minimum inhibitory concentrations.