Antibacterial Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Ethanolic Extract from Moringa oleifera (Moringa) Leaves Cultivated in the Drylands of East Nusa Tenggara against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam. is widely cultivated in semi-arid regions such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia, where dryland stress may enhance the accumulation of bioactive secondary metabolites. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile and antibacterial activity of 96% ethanolic leaf extract of M. oleifera grown in NTT drylands against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Leaves were extracted by maceration, followed by qualitative phytochemical screening and antibacterial testing using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method at concentrations of 10–100% (w/v). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined by broth microdilution. The extract contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and phenolics. Antibacterial activity increased with extract concentration, reaching a mean inhibition zone of 21.4 ± 0.83 mm at 100% (w/v), classified as strong activity, with an MIC of 12.5% (w/v). These findings indicate that dryland-grown M. oleifera leaves from NTT contain diverse phytochemicals and exhibit strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus, supporting their potential as a natural antibacterial agent.