ABSTRACT
Shallot [Allium hirtifolium Bosis] belongs to genus Liliaceae There is more than 500 species in this genus. Shallot produces a cluster of bulbs from a single planted bulb. This plant has been used as an additive in foods for many years, but there is little study about antibacterial activity of Shallot. The aim of this study was to determine antibacterial activity of Shallot against clinical isolated bacteria. Crude juice of shallot [Allium hirtifolium] was tested for it's growth inhibitory effect on 4 Gram-negative and 2Gram-positive species Minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] was determined using dilution method. All test organisms were inhibited by shallot juice. The MIC for Gram-negative enteric rods including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis ranged between 78-624 micro /ml. while the MIC for pseudomonas aeruginosa was 20-80mg/ml.The MIC for Gram -positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus strains and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains were 156-312 micro /ml and 19.5-78 micro /ml respectively. It is concluded that Crude juice of shallot has antibacterial activity against both gram positive cocci and Gram-negate rods. It is believed that antibacterial activity of shallot depends on its thiosulfinate components