Abstract

This study determines the comparative antimicrobial potentials of omidun “supernatant solution of fermented maize mash” from yellow and white maize varieties on some diarrhoea causing microorganisms. The pH of the two omidun varieties were determined, their antimicrobial activities was also determined using agar well diffusion. Disc diffusion assay was also done using commercially produced antibiotics. Generally, omidun from the two maize varieties had acidic pH, with mean value of 3.6 for omidun from white maize and 4.0 for omidun from yellow maize. Both maize varieties inhibited growth of the tested microorganisms but at slightly different concentrations. The mean zones of inhibition of omidun from white maize varieties (9.5 mm) was higher than zones of inhibition by yellow maize varieties (9.2 mm) on Salmonella abaetetuba ATCC 35460, but with no significant (p>0.05) difference. Zones of inhibitions given by omidun from the two maize varieties were the same (9 to12 mm) on Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and S. abaetetuba ATCC 35460 (7 to 12 mm). Although, the highest concentration obtained was not as high as what was observed with commercial antibiotics. This study showed that the effect produced by omidun from the two maize varieties is not significantly different (p>0.05). Hence, the variety of maize used in this study had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the antimicrobial activity of omidun

Key words: Antimicrobial, omidun, agar well, antimicrobial assay.