Al-Kunooze Scientific Journal

Effect of black pepper on various microorganism, Basra, Iraq

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hussein Salman 1
Iqbal Ismael Salih 2
Rana Mohamed Naser 3

1 Southern Technical University/College of Health and Medical Techniques, Basra, Iraq

2 AlFarqadein university

3 College of science / university of Basrah

https://doi.org/10.36582/ksj.2026.190782
Abstract
The antifungal and antibacterial properties of black pepper (Piper nigrum) were examined in this study. against a number of isolated bacteria and fungi. 58 oral swabs in all were collected from
40 women and 18 men with diabetes and urinary tract infections at Al-Moani and Al-Fayhaa Hospitals in Al-Basra province during the period from September to November 2023. Disc diffusion was used in antimicrobial experiments to identify inhibitory zones against various bacteria isolates. According to the findings, black pepper revealed strong antifungal efficacy against Candida albicans (80%), Candida dubliniensis (80%), and Candida tropicalis (100%). Furthermore, the extract showed strong antibacterial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus (100%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (60%), and moderate activity against Escherichia coli (80%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (70%).The findings confirm the broad-spectrum antibacterial properties of black pepper, which are likely caused by its bioactive components, such as piperine and essential oils. These results suggest that black pepper could be a natural alternative for controlling dangerous bacteria and fungi in the food preservation and pharmaceutical industries.

Keywords

Basra
antimicrobial properties
antifungal
antibacterial
black pepper
Crossmark
Subjects
Al-Kunooze Scientific Journal
Volume 12, Issue 1
Winter 2026
Pages 14-24

  • Receive Date 18 September 2025
  • Revise Date 02 October 2026
  • Accept Date 19 October 2025
  • First Publish Date 01 January 2026
  • Publish Date 01 January 2026

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