Antibacterial Activity of Chayote (Sechium edule Swartz) Squash Extracts and Their Phytochemical Constituents

<p>Antibacterial activity of chayote (<em>Sechium edule</em> Swartz) squash extracts against pathogenic bacteria has been evaluated. Dried powder was extracted using methanol which then successively hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol. The antibacterial activities the were tested by hole diffusion method. Methanol extract had <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Bacillus subtilis</em>, <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em>, <em>Escherichia coli</em> but did not have <em>Enterobacter aerogenes</em>, <em>Shigella dysenteriae</em>, <em>Salmonella typhi</em>. Ethyl acetate highest <em>P. aeruginosa</em> <em>E. coli</em>. contains phenolics, condensed tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids. a MIC 50 mg/ml for <em>S. <em>B. Different bioactivities found due to various chemical compositions as result different polarities solvent.</p>