DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2014.v01i04.025

Pages: 279-287

The study was designed to evaluate the activity of Moringa oleifera in microbiological water purification. Microbes are injurious to the health of man and animal when consuming contaminated water. The moringa seed were extracted using ethanol as solvent and pure culture of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabili, Streptococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus was used to determine the seed antimicrobial activity which was compared with the antimicrobial property of a standard known drug Ciprofloxacin termed the control. The total mesophilic bacterial count, total mesophilic fungal count, most probable number and physicochemical properties of the water sample which was gotten from Umuariaga Village in Abia State, Nigeria was determined prior to treatement and after treatment with Moringa oleifera. Result obtained from this study revealed Moringa oleifera possessed strong antibacterial activity and improved physicochemical properties of the water sample as thee seeds possessed flocculation properties. Chemical water treatment agents such as metal salts, synthetic polymers and chlorine formulations are deemed unfavourable on human health while Moringa oleifera seeds acts as a natural coagulant, flocculent, absorbent for the treatment of drinking water with no toxic effect on human health.