In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the Selected Bacterial Pathogen and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa, Eastern Ethiopia

In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the Selected Bacterial Pathogen and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa, Eastern Ethiopia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the Selected Bacterial Pathogen and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa, Eastern Ethiopia Wondimagegn Wolde, Mohammed Nasir, Zerihun Ataro, Ayichew Seyoum This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4078341/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background In developing countries, 80% of the population use traditional medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs. Cucurbita pepo is a widely used food and medicinal plant as a natural anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and analgesic agent for treating various public health problems. This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the selected bacterial pathogen and Ethnobotanical knowledge Methods: The study was conducted at Gara Muleta, Eastern Ethiopia from April 30 to May 30, 2020. Sixty experimental tests were performed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Cucurbita pepo seed extracts using three extraction methods (water-based, methanol-based, and chloroform) at different concentrations (higher, medium, and lower concentrations). An experimental study was carried out using three standard pathogenic bacteria ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus , and Escherichia coli ) using the disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 384 households in Girawa town to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of the community regarding Cucurbita pepo . Results Water, methanol, and chloroform extracts of Cucurbita pepo seeds showed maximum inhibition zones of 9.0 mm, 12.0 mm, and 10.0 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations of 18, 24, and 20 mg/mL, respectively, against P. aeruginosa . Of the 384 study participants, 376 (98.2%) of the participants had ethnobotanical knowledge of Cucurbita pepo seeds. However, 240 (62.5%) and 255 (66.4%) of the study participants had no information about the medical use and health benefits of Cucurbita pepo seeds, respectively. Conclusion The methanol and chloroform extracts of Cucurbita pepo seeds possessed notable antibacterial activity, but water extract showed no zone of inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus . Cucurbita pepo antimicrobial activity seed extraction ethnobotanical knowledge Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction The Curcurbiteae family, also referred as cucurbits form a very large group with approximately 130 genera and 800 species and can be cultivated in warmer region of worldwide and make popular food crop plants some of these species include squashes, pumpkins, melons and gourds. Cucurbita pepo is one of the oldest cultivated species. 1 This family has medicinal and nutritional benefits. 2 The immature fruits are also consumed as vegetables. The mature fruit is sweet and used to produce beverages. Seeds that are rich in oil are also used with honey to prepare desserts. The flower buds and flowers are edible. Pumpkin seeds also used as antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antitumor, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anthelmintic agents in many countries, such as India, China, Brazil, Yugoslavia, and America. 3 , 4 , 5 Medicinal plants constitute an important component of the pharmaceutical and primary healthcare systems at the local level. Approximately 80% of the world’s population depends on ethno medicines for primary health care. 6 , 7 , 8 The use of crude extracts of plant parts and phytochemicals with known antimicrobial properties may be of great significance for therapeutic treatments. Recently, several studies have been conducted in various countries to demonstrate their efficiency. Many plants have been used because of their antimicrobial properties, which are attributed to the secondary metabolites synthesized by plants. 3 , 9 Determination of the antibacterial activities of different medicinal plants is of special interest because of the current global issue of increasing antibiotic resistance of microorganisms. 10 Therefore, it is imperative to identify compounds that can be used to develop novel medicines with higher antimicrobial properties. 11 Currently, researchers are searching for novel antimicrobial molecules that have a broad spectrum of activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, without many or any side effects. 12 , 13 The current study aimed to identify the antibacterial activity of Cucurbita pepo against selected bacterial pathogens and the endogenous knowledge of the community on this plant as a traditional healer. Materials and Methods Study area and period This study was conducted in Girawa Town from April 30 to May 30, 2021. The town is located in Gara Muleta District, East Hararge Zone, Oromia National Regional State, and Eastern Ethiopia. It is located about 555.87 km east of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. The district is located at an altitude ranging 1187–2700 meters above sea level, with an average annual temperature of 25.6°C and an average rainfall of 950 mm. Study design An experimental study and community-based cross-sectional study were carried out to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Cucurbita pepo on the selected bacterial pathogens and ethnobotanical knowledge of the community. Inclusion and exclusion criteria Household members aged over 18 years in the selected households who had lived in the selected ketene for ≥ 6 months were included in the study. Individuals who were terminally or mentally ill were also excluded. Sample size determination Sixty tests (30 for water-based extraction and 30 for alcohol-based extraction) were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Cucurbita pepo against the selected bacterial pathogen (Table 1 ). Table 1 Sample size for antimicrobial activity on the selected microorganisms Extraction methods Microorganisms to be used MIC # of tests # of control Water based Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) High 3 1 Medium 3 Low 3 Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) High 3 1 Medium 3 Low 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) High 3 1 Medium 3 Low 3 Alcohol based Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) High 3 1 Medium 3 Low 3 Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) High 3 1 Medium 3 Low 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) High 3 1 Medium 3 Low 3 MIC-minimum inhibitory concentration The sample size to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of the community calculated using single population proportion formula by considering 50% of the community proportion had the ethnobotanical knowledge (P) of Cucurbita Pepo , 95% confidence level, and 5% marginal error (d). In total, 384 households were interviewed. Sampling techniques First, out of five kebeles of Girawa district, one kebele (Girawa kebele) has been selected using a lottery method. Of the seven ketenas of Girawa Kebeles, two were selected using simple random sampling. Finally, the sample size allocated proportionally to each ketena and study participant was selected from every third household interval (Fig. 1 ). Data Collection Structured questionnaires were prepared in English based on information from the available literature. The questionnaires were translated into the local language (Afaan Oromoo) and pre-tested. During pre-testing, additional information was gathered, and some of the questionnaires were modified. Two trained BSc public health professionals collected data. The first author supervised the overall activities of the data-collection process. Collection and identification of plant material Mature Cucurbita pepo plants were obtained from local markets. Cucurbita pepo seeds were collected from the fruits using a clean and dry leak proof container, transported to Haramaya University, Medical Microbiology Laboratory using a sample transport box, and kept in a dry and clean area. The collected plant specimens were identified using taxonomic keys by plant taxonomic experts. Voucher specimens (number: 060987) were deposited in the Herbarium of the Department of Plant Science, Haramaya University, Ethiopia. Powder extraction from Cucurbita pepo seeds The Cucurbita pepo seeds were washed vigorously and dried in the shade for five days. After the seeds were completely dried, they were crushed and powdered using a grinder and a blender. The seed powder was then filled in the test tube, and the extraction process was carried out sequentially with distilled water as a solvent in a Soxhlet extractor for 48 h. Finally, the seed solvent extracts were concentrated under compact pressure and stored at 5°C in airtight bottles for experimental use (Singh 2012) (Fig. 2 ). Agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) Media preparation and agar well diffusion assays were performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The American Type Culture Collection of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) was obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory of the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Haramaya University. The test suspension was standardized to match the McFarland turbidity standard of 0.5, which corresponds to approximately 1.5 × 10 8 CFU/ml. A working solution (50 µg/ml) of streptomycin (mM EDTA, analytical standard) was prepared from stock solution as a positive control, and 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (ACS reagent grade) was used as a negative control. Three concentrations (200, 100, and 50 mg/ml) of Cucurbita pepo seed extract were used as test materials. The standardized inoculant was swabbed uniformly onto solidified Mueller–Hinton agar, and the seeded media were allowed to dry for approximately 5 min. Five wells per plate (three wells for extracts, one for each of the positive and negative controls) were made in the seeded agar using a 6 mm cork borer. Using a micropipette, 20 µ l of the test solution was poured into each well. The media were kept biosafety for 1 h for proper diffusion and then incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The experiment was repeated three times, and the results and zones of inhibition for each dose were expressed as the mean of the replicates. The MIC was evaluated using the agar dilution method, and MHA culture media was used. Serial dilutions of the plant extracts were prepared by dissolving in 5% DMSO to obtain concentrations of 15.625–1000 µ g/ml. Two milliliters aliquot of the plant extract dilution of each concentration to be tested was added to 19 ml of molten agar. The test was performed in triplicate (Table 1 ). Operational definition Sensitive (S) The inhibition zone of the isolated bacteria was greater than the inhibition zone set for the antimicrobial disk mentioned in the testing panel. Resistant (R) The inhibition zone of the isolated bacteria was less than the inhibition zone set for the antimicrobial disk mentioned in the testing panel. Intermediate (I) When the inhibition zone of the isolated bacteria was less than or equal to the inhibition zone set for the antimicrobial disk mentioned in the testing panel. Ethnobotany This is a study of the relationship between plants and people, with a particular emphasis on traditional cultures. Ethnobotanical knowledge Knowledge of Cucurbita pepo on Cucurbita pepo, medical use, and health benefits. Knowledgeable who knew all the three key knowledge on Cucurbita pepo Less knowledge who had one out of three of the key knowledge of Cucurbita pepo. Quality Control Aseptic techniques were applied at all steps of plant extraction and inoculation into the culture media to minimize contamination. All the culture media were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The sterility and performance of the culture medium were tested. The pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical stages of quality assurance incorporated in the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the microbiology laboratory of the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences were strictly followed. Statistical Analysis The collected data were entered into EpiData 3.1 and exported to SPSS 23.0. Data cleaning was performed by running the frequency of each categorical variable and cross-tabulation of different categorical variables. Descriptive results are summarized as percentages, means, and standard deviations. Ethical Considerations The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Health Research Ethics Review Committee (IHRERC) of the College of Health and Medical Sciences (reference number: C/AC/R/D/01/1085/21). An official support letter was written to the Gara Muleta Girawa Town Administration Office. Information on the study, including its objectives, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, was explained to each participant. Participants were informed of their right to refuse or withdraw from the study at any time. Participants’ confidentiality was ensured by excluding names and identifiers from the questionnaire. Informed voluntary written and signed consent was obtained from all respondents throughout the study. Results Antimicrobial activity of seed extracts of Cucurbita pepo against selected bacteria Overall, 60 experimental studies were conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Cucurbita pepo seed extracts using water- and alcohol-based extraction. Accordingly, 30 tests were conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of the water-based seed extracts of Cucurbita pepo at different concentrations (high, medium, and low) against E. coli , S. aureus , and P. aeruginosa . No zones of inhibition were observed for E. coli or S. aureus . Similarly, 15 tests were conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of methanol against E. coli , S. aureus , and P. aeruginosa. Minimal zones of inhibition were observed for E. coli (6 mm) and S. aureus (9 mm). A relatively large zone of inhibition was observed for P. aeruginosa (22 mm). Finally, 15 tests were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of Cucurbita pepo seed extract against E. coli, S. aureus , and P. aeruginosa. The seed extracts showed a minimum zone of inhibition (5 mm) against E. coli , and S .aureus and a relatively higher zone of inhibition (18 mm) was observed against P. aeruginosa (Table 2 ). Table 2 Antibacterial activity of extracts of the seed of C. Pepo against selected bacteria using paper disc diffusion method at Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021 Conc. Extraction methods Zone of inhibition Comparative control E.coli (mean & SD) S. aureus (mean & SD) P. aeruginosa (mean & SD) Ciprofloxacin (mean & SD) Gentamycin (mean & SD) High* Water NA NA 10.25 ± 1.85 9 ± 1.73 8.5 ± 1.68 Methanol 3.5 ˄ ±1.08 4.5 ± 1.0 11 ± 1.92 12 ± 2.00 11 ± 1.92 Chloroform 2.5 ± 0.91 2.5 ± 0.912 9 ± 1.73 10 ± 1.85 11.5 ± 1.95 Medium** Water NA NA 8.5 ± 1.68 9 ± 1.73 8.5 ± 1.68 Methanol 2.5 ± 0.91 3.5 ± 1.08 10 ± 1.82 12 ± 2.00 11 ± 1.92 Chloroform 2.5 ± 0.91 2.5 ± 0.912 9 ± 1.73 10 ± 1.85 11.5 ± 1.95 Low*** Water NA NA 6.5 ± 1.50 9 ± 1.73 8.5 ± 1.68 Methanol 2.5 ± 0.91 3.5 ± 1.08 10 ± 1.82 12 ± 2.00 11 ± 1.92 Chloroform 2.0 ± 0.82 2.5 ± 0.91 9 ± 1.73 10 ± 1.85 11.5 ± 1.95 * One part of extracted plant: two part of extraction solvent; **One part of extracted plant:four part of extraction solvent; ***One part of extracted plant: eight part of extraction solvent; ˄ Numbers indicate the mean diameters of inhibition of triplicate experiments SD- Standard deviation; NA- not applicable Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the different solvent extracts of Cucurbita Pepo to the selected bacterial pathogen The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for methanol- and chloroform-based extracts were determined using three serially diluted Cucurbita pepo extracts. The MIC of Cucurbita pepo extract in both extraction solvents ranges from 4.2. mg/ml to 24mg/ml. An overview of the findings showed that a relatively lower concentration was required to inhibit ATCC P. aeruginosa than the other tested bacteria. The least (4.2 mg/ml) minimum inhibitor concentration was observed in the chloroform-based extraction at low concentrations against ATCC E. coli and methanol-based extracts against ATCC S. aureus. The result shows that MIC of methanol extract range from 5.0 mg/L to 24.0 mg/L for tested organisms and chloroform extract had MIC that ranges from 4.2 mg/L to 20.5 mg/L for tested bacteria (Table 3 ). Table 3 Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of the different solvent extracts of Cucurbita pepo seed on selected pathogenic bacteria Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021 ATCC Bacteria Concentrations MIC (mg/ml) Methanol Chloroform Positive control (Ciprofloxacin) E. coli High 7.2 5.3 24.0 Medium 5.6 5.0 24 .0 Low 6.0 4.2 24.0 S. aureus High 9.3 6.2 22.0 Medium 8.0 5.2 22.0 Low 5.0 5.0 22.0 P. aeruginosa High 24.0 20.5 20.0 Medium 22.5 20 20.0 Low 21.5 19.0 20.0 MIC-Minimum inhibitory concentrations Ethnobotanical knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta Sociodemographic characteristics of study participants Overall, 384 study participants included in the study, gives a 100% response rate. The majority were male (212/384) and aged > 34 years (219/384) (Table 4 ). Table 4 Socio-demographic characteristic study participants who have been enrolled to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021(N = 384) Variable Category Frequency Percentage Gender Male 212 55.2 Female 174 44.8 Age (in years) 34 165 42.7 Educational status Illiterate 87 22.6 Only write & read 116 30.2 Certificate level 20 5.2 Diploma level 90 23.5 Degree level 70 18.5 Duration of stay One year 34 8.8 Two years 22 5.7 Five 24 6.2 Many years 304 79.3 Monthly income (in Ethiopian birr) 100–1000 121 31.5 1001–10000 256 66.7 10001–80000 7 1.8 Occupation Farmer 170 44.3 Merchant 65 17.0 Health professional 32 8.0 Police 12 3.1 Others 105 27.3 Knowledge of study participants on Cucurbita pepo Approximately 98.2% of the study participants had knowledge of Cucurbita pepo seeds with and 256 (66.8%) of them have been no knowledge regarding on the Cucurbita pepo seeds that killed bacteria with (Table 5 ). Table 5 Knowledge of study participants on Cucurbita pepo seed by gender Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021 (n = 384). Questions Category Responses P-value 95% CI Male Female n % n % Do you know Cucurbita pepo ? Yes 209 54.0 167 44.2 0.94 0.39 − 0.36 No 4 1.0 3 0.8 Do you think that the Cucurbita pepo kills bacteria? Yes 67 18.0 58 15.2 0.52 0.15 − 0.08 No 144 37.6 112 29.2 Which of the following nutrients do you think are in Cucurbita pepo ? Minerals 9 2.3 14 3.7 0.14 0.01–0.09 Protein 86 22.5 53 13.8 Starch 28 7.3 11 2.9 Vitamins 42 11.0 37 9.7 Do not know 48 12.5 55 14.4 Are there any medicinal uses of the in Cucurbita pepo (roots, fruits and seeds?) Yes 80 20.9 63 16.4 0.83 0.11–0.14 No 133 34.7 107 27.9 Do you have information about health benefit of Cucurbita pepo ? Yes 70 18.3 58 15.1 0.75 0.15 − 0.11 No 143 37.3 112 29.2 Discussion In this study, the antibacterial activity of Cucurbita pepo seeds was evaluated against three selected bacterial pathogens: one gram-positive ( S. aureus ) and two gram-negative bacteria ( E. coli and P. aeruginosa ). E. coli and S. aureus shared the same trend, in that the diameter of the zone of inhibition was found to parallel with increasing concentrations. The effects of the different types of solvents used during extraction were clearly observed. The methanol extract of Cucurbita pepo seeds showed the best antibacterial activity, followed by the chloroform and water extracts. This result is supported by the study conducted by Yamaji et al., which showed that water-soluble compounds have no antimicrobial significance, water-soluble phenolic compounds generally demonstrate significant antioxidant properties. 14 The trend of antibacterial susceptibility was found to be dependent on the polarity of the solvents. Parekh et al. reported that plant extracts from organic solvents have been found to have more consistent antimicrobial activity than water extract. 15 In another study, among the 20 different solvents evaluated, chloroform was found to be the best solvent for the extraction of non-polar biologically active compounds. 16 In this study, no difference was observed between Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. This finding is in agreement with the findings of Nurmahani et al., where no clear difference was found between the different types of bacteria on the antibacterial activity of the drug on fruit peel extracts. 17 In another study, plant extracts showed that gram-positive strains are considered more susceptible to antibacterial agents than gram-negative strains due to different cell wall structures. 18 gram-negative strains possess an outer phospholipid membrane carrying structural components of lipopolysaccharides. Thus, the cell wall is impermeable to antibacterial agents. Compared with the gram-positive strain, it contains an outer peptidoglycan layer, which is not an effective barrier. 19 Minimum inhibitory concentration test was used in diagnostic laboratories to confirm unusual resistance, to give a definitive answer when a borderline result is obtained by other methods of testing, or when disc diffusion methods are not appropriate. 20 The result shows that minimum inhibitor concentration of methanol extract range from 5.0 mg/L to 24.0 mg/L for tasted organisms and chloroform extract had minimum inhibitory concentration that ranges from 4.2 mg/L to 20.5 mg/L for tested bacteria. The findings showed that a relatively low concentration was required to inhibit or kill ATCC P. aeruginosa compared with the other tested bacteria. Medicinal plant knowledge is shaped by the ecological diversity of the country and varies across people with different religious, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds. 21 Out of the 384 study participants, 376 (98.2%) of the participants had knowledge of Cucurbita pepo seeds. However, 256 (66.8%) of them had no knowledge of the Cucurbita pepo seed antibacterial ability of the seed. Similarly, 240 (62.5%) and 255 (66.4) of the study participants had no information on medical use and health benefits of Cucurbita pepo seeds, respectively. Most respondents were above 31–45 years of age. This hints at the fact that ethnomedicinal knowledge is concentrated in the elderly members of the community and the relative difficulty in its transfer from the elderly to the younger generation. Studies in different areas have shown that medicinal plant knowledge and the transfer of knowledge to the young generation have been affected by modernization. 12 , 22 , 23 Conclusion The methanol and chloroform extracts of Cucurbita pepo seeds exhibited notable antibacterial activities. Cucurbita pepo seed extract showed high activity against P. aeruginosa among the methanol and chloroform extracts. However, further investigations are required to understand the precise mechanisms of action and isolate the compound(s) responsible for such activities. Many communities were not knowledgeable about the health benefits and medical uses of Cucurbita pepo seeds. Declarations Disclosure This paper is based on the thesis of Mohammed Nasir. It has been published on the Haramaya University institutional repository: http://ir.haramaya.edu.et/hru/handle/123456789/4841 . The author announced that they have no conflict of interests. Author Contribution M.N and A.S had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. W.W Participated in study conception. M.N and Z.A drafted and revised the paper. All authors approved the final draft of the manuscript for publication. Acknowledgment We express our gratefulness to all the study participants and all individuals who have in one way or another contributed to the completion of this study. References Martha R, Gutierrez P. Review of Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin) its Phytochemistry and Pharmacology. 2016;6(1):12–21. Ardabili AG, Farhoosh R, Khodaparast MHH. Chemical Composition and Physicochemical Properties of Pumpkin Seeds (Cucurbita pepo Subsp. pepo Var. Styriaka) Grown in Iran. J Agr Sci Tech. 2011;13:1053–63. Batool M, Modassar M, Nawaz A, Roobab U, Manzoor MF, Farooq U et al. Benefits of Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). 2022. Kl N, Lau M, Cp T. Fibre from pumpkin (cucurbita pepo l.) Seeds and rinds : Physico- chemical properties, antioxidant capacity and application as Fibre from Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) Seeds and Rinds : Physico-chemical Properties, Antioxidant Capacity and Application. Mal J Nutr. 2013;19(1). Nair B, Power T, Patil PS, Waghulde S. Antimicrobial activity of seed extract of Cucurbita pepo. 2017. Adnan M, Tariq A, Bibi R, Mussarat S, Fatima B, Ali N et al. Traditional medicines and their in-vitro proof against Staphylococcus aureus in Pakistan. 2018;11(6):355–68. Ethiraj S, Balasundaram J. Phytochemical and Biological Activity of Cucurbita Seed Extract. J adances Biotechnol. 2016;6(1):813–21. Moges A, Moges Y. Ethiopian Common Medicinal Plants: Their Parts and Uses in Traditional Medicine - Ecology and Quality Control. In: Plant Science - Structure, Anatomy and Physiology in Plants Cultured in Vivo and in Vitro Scientific. Selvamohan T, Shibila VRS, Kishore S. Antimicrobial activity of selected medicinal plants against some selected human pathogenic bacteria. Adv Appl Sci Res. 2012;3(5):3374–81. Bishaw M. Promoting traditional brief historical review medicine in Ethiopia: a of government policy. Sm SO Med. 1991;33(2):193–200. Farjana A, Zerin N, Kabir MS. Antimicrobial activity of medicinal plant leaf extracts against pathogenic bacteria. Asian Pac J Trop Dis. 2014;4(2):S920–3. Bekalo TH, Woodmatas SD, Woldemariam ZA. An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by local people in the lowlands of Konta Special Woreda, southern nations, nationalities and peoples regional state, Ethiopia. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009;5(26). Chandra H, Bishnoi P, Yadav A, Patni B, Mishra AP, Nautiyal AR. Antimicrobial Resistance and the Alternative Resources with Special Emphasis on Plant-Based Antimicrobials—A Review. Plants. 2017;6(16). Yamaji K, Ishimoto H, Usui N, Mori S. Organic acids and water-soluble phenolics produced by Paxillus sp. 60 / 92 together show antifungal activity against Pythium vexans under acidic culture conditions. Mycorrhiza. 2005;15:17–23. Parekh J, Jadeja D, Chanda S. Efficacy of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants for Potential Antibacterial Activity Efficacy of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants for Potential Antibacterial Activity. Turkish J Biol Vol. 2005;29(4). Härmäld P, Vuorela’ H, Tornquist K, Hiltunen R. Choice of Solvent in the Extraction of Angelica archangelica Roots with Reference to Calcium Blocking Activity. Plonta Med. 1991;58:176–83. Nurmahani MM, Hamid A, Dek P. Antibacterial property of Hylocereus polyrhizus and Hylocereus undatus peel extracts. Int Food Res J. 2012;19. Ahmad I, Beg AZ. Antimicrobial and phytochemical studies on 45 Indian medicinal plants against multi-drug resistant human pathogens. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001;74(2):113–23. Wiener MC, Horanyi PS. How hydrophobic molecules traverse the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2011. p. 10929–30. Andrews JM. JAC Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2001;48(S1):5–16. Luo W, Gao L, Zhao D, Zhang L, Gao B, Lei G et al. Yunvjian Improves Glucose and Insulin Function in Diabetic Rats by Regulating Gastric Emptying Function. 2023;2023:1–11. Wassie SM, Aragie LL, Taye BW, Mekonnen LB. Knowledge, Attitude, and Utilization of Traditional Medicine among the Communities of Merawi Town, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Evidence-based Complement Altern Med. 2015;2015. Mekonnen N, Abebe E. Ethnobotanical knowledge and practices of traditional healers in Harar, Haramaya, Bati and Gara Muleta, Eastern Ethiopia. Ethiop Vet J. 2017;21(2):40–61. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4078341","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":278473828,"identity":"d6d99f6d-4c06-4fde-b8b0-b73a8c28e1c6","order_by":0,"name":"Wondimagegn Wolde","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJACiQQgwceQwHDgA5DBxk6sFjaGBMaHM0AMZmK0MEC0MBvzgFiEtBgc7z1442HOYTk29uRj0ja/tsnzMTMwfviYg0fLmXPJFonbDhuz8TxLk87tu23YxszALDlzG24tZjdyzCQSt91ObJPIMZPO7bnNCNTCxsxLnJb8b9KWPbftSdGSw2zM8APIIKTF/swZY6Bf/oP8Yviwt+F2chszYzNev0i29xje/LktTY6fPfnBgR9/btvOb28++OEjHi2ogLENTDYQqx4E/pCieBSMglEwCkYKAAAN6FGNkOAmwgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Oda Bultum University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wondimagegn","middleName":"","lastName":"Wolde","suffix":""},{"id":278473830,"identity":"58fc8a93-a84b-4828-8e83-a61f38fdfc44","order_by":1,"name":"Mohammed Nasir","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Haramaya University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohammed","middleName":"","lastName":"Nasir","suffix":""},{"id":278473832,"identity":"5066f675-c974-4cbc-88c9-219ce5acac6f","order_by":2,"name":"Zerihun Ataro","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Haramaya University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zerihun","middleName":"","lastName":"Ataro","suffix":""},{"id":278473834,"identity":"c937d46b-aa2d-4d28-b303-e7bc0af25f06","order_by":3,"name":"Ayichew Seyoum","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Haramaya University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ayichew","middleName":"","lastName":"Seyoum","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-03-11 22:07:43","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4078341/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4078341/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":52617103,"identity":"5d32e085-a423-4815-b4cf-4c7ef7068fd8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-13 16:14:53","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":32253,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSchematic presentation of sampling procedure of households\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4078341/v1/f56ce009e02b9cd9ad6d5bac.png"},{"id":52617108,"identity":"ae4178b1-0651-4014-8384-2fccdf052703","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-13 16:14:57","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":22050,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCucurbita pepo powder extraction process\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4078341/v1/e95392e1c88fde3e0292672d.png"},{"id":53847855,"identity":"821cdea5-d7c1-4c81-be8f-0ca9360501ff","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-01 09:02:24","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":493421,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4078341/v1/c06341dc-e030-48b9-bd1e-255ed97cc658.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the Selected Bacterial Pathogen and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa, Eastern Ethiopia","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Curcurbiteae family, also referred as cucurbits form a very large group with approximately 130 genera and 800 species and can be cultivated in warmer region of worldwide and make popular food crop plants some of these species include squashes, pumpkins, melons and gourds. Cucurbita pepo is one of the oldest cultivated species.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e This family has medicinal and nutritional benefits. \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e The immature fruits are also consumed as vegetables. The mature fruit is sweet and used to produce beverages. Seeds that are rich in oil are also used with honey to prepare desserts. The flower buds and flowers are edible. Pumpkin seeds also used as antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antitumor, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anthelmintic agents in many countries, such as India, China, Brazil, Yugoslavia, and America.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedicinal plants constitute an important component of the pharmaceutical and primary healthcare systems at the local level. Approximately 80% of the world\u0026rsquo;s population depends on ethno medicines for primary health care. \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e The use of crude extracts of plant parts and phytochemicals with known antimicrobial properties may be of great significance for therapeutic treatments. Recently, several studies have been conducted in various countries to demonstrate their efficiency. Many plants have been used because of their antimicrobial properties, which are attributed to the secondary metabolites synthesized by plants. \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDetermination of the antibacterial activities of different medicinal plants is of special interest because of the current global issue of increasing antibiotic resistance of microorganisms.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e Therefore, it is imperative to identify compounds that can be used to develop novel medicines with higher antimicrobial properties.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCurrently, researchers are searching for novel antimicrobial molecules that have a broad spectrum of activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, without many or any side effects. \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e The current study aimed to identify the antibacterial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e against selected bacterial pathogens and the endogenous knowledge of the community on this plant as a traditional healer.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy area and period\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted in Girawa Town from April 30 to May 30, 2021. The town is located in Gara Muleta District, East Hararge Zone, Oromia National Regional State, and Eastern Ethiopia. It is located about 555.87 km east of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. The district is located at an altitude ranging 1187\u0026ndash;2700 meters above sea level, with an average annual temperature of 25.6\u0026deg;C and an average rainfall of 950 mm.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn experimental study and community-based cross-sectional study were carried out to evaluate the antibacterial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e on the selected bacterial pathogens and ethnobotanical knowledge of the community.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eInclusion and exclusion criteria\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eHousehold members aged over 18 years in the selected households who had lived in the selected ketene for \u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026ge;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;6 months were included in the study. Individuals who were terminally or mentally ill were also excluded.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample size determination\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSixty tests (30 for water-based extraction and 30 for alcohol-based extraction) were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e against the selected bacterial pathogen (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample size for antimicrobial activity on the selected microorganisms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExtraction methods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMicroorganisms to be used\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMIC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e# of tests\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e# of control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"8\" rowspan=\"9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWater based\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEscherichia coli\u003c/em\u003e (ATCC 25922)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStaphylococcus aureus\u003c/em\u003e (ATCC 25923)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePseudomonas aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e (ATCC 27853)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"8\" rowspan=\"9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlcohol based\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEscherichia coli\u003c/em\u003e (ATCC 25922)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStaphylococcus aureus\u003c/em\u003e (ATCC 25923)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePseudomonas aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e (ATCC 27853)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"5\"\u003eMIC-minimum inhibitory concentration\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sample size to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of the community calculated using single population proportion formula by considering 50% of the community proportion had the ethnobotanical knowledge (P) of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita Pepo\u003c/em\u003e, 95% confidence level, and 5% marginal error (d). In total, 384 households were interviewed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSampling techniques\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, out of five kebeles of Girawa district, one kebele (Girawa kebele) has been selected using a lottery method. Of the seven ketenas of Girawa Kebeles, two were selected using simple random sampling. Finally, the sample size allocated proportionally to each ketena and study participant was selected from every third household interval (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eStructured questionnaires were prepared in English based on information from the available literature. The questionnaires were translated into the local language (Afaan Oromoo) and pre-tested. During pre-testing, additional information was gathered, and some of the questionnaires were modified. Two trained BSc public health professionals collected data. The first author supervised the overall activities of the data-collection process.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCollection and identification of plant material\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eMature \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e plants were obtained from local markets. Cucurbita pepo seeds were collected from the fruits using a clean and dry leak proof container, transported to Haramaya University, Medical Microbiology Laboratory using a sample transport box, and kept in a dry and clean area. The collected plant specimens were identified using taxonomic keys by plant taxonomic experts. Voucher specimens (number: 060987) were deposited in the Herbarium of the Department of Plant Science, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003ePowder extraction from\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eseeds\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Cucurbita pepo seeds were washed vigorously and dried in the shade for five days. After the seeds were completely dried, they were crushed and powdered using a grinder and a blender. The seed powder was then filled in the test tube, and the extraction process was carried out sequentially with distilled water as a solvent in a Soxhlet extractor for 48 h. Finally, the seed solvent extracts were concentrated under compact pressure and stored at 5\u0026deg;C in airtight bottles for experimental use (Singh 2012) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAgar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e Media preparation and agar well diffusion assays were performed according to the manufacturer\u0026rsquo;s instructions. The American Type Culture Collection of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) was obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory of the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Haramaya University. The test suspension was standardized to match the McFarland turbidity standard of 0.5, which corresponds to approximately 1.5 \u0026times; 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e CFU/ml. A working solution (50 \u0026micro;g/ml) of streptomycin (mM EDTA, analytical standard) was prepared from stock solution as a positive control, and 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (ACS reagent grade) was used as a negative control.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThree concentrations (200, 100, and 50 mg/ml) of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed extract were used as test materials. The standardized inoculant was swabbed uniformly onto solidified Mueller\u0026ndash;Hinton agar, and the seeded media were allowed to dry for approximately 5 min. Five wells per plate (three wells for extracts, one for each of the positive and negative controls) were made in the seeded agar using a 6 mm cork borer. Using a micropipette, 20 \u003cem\u003e\u0026micro;\u003c/em\u003el of the test solution was poured into each well. The media were kept biosafety for 1 h for proper diffusion and then incubated at 37\u0026deg;C for 24 h. The experiment was repeated three times, and the results and zones of inhibition for each dose were expressed as the mean of the replicates.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe MIC was evaluated using the agar dilution method, and MHA culture media was used. Serial dilutions of the plant extracts were prepared by dissolving in 5% DMSO to obtain concentrations of 15.625\u0026ndash;1000 \u003cem\u003e\u0026micro;\u003c/em\u003eg/ml. Two milliliters aliquot of the plant extract dilution of each concentration to be tested was added to 19 ml of molten agar. The test was performed in triplicate (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eOperational definition\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSensitive (S)\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe inhibition zone of the isolated bacteria was greater than the inhibition zone set for the antimicrobial disk mentioned in the testing panel.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eResistant (R)\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe inhibition zone of the isolated bacteria was less than the inhibition zone set for the antimicrobial disk mentioned in the testing panel.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eIntermediate (I)\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen the inhibition zone of the isolated bacteria was less than or equal to the inhibition zone set for the antimicrobial disk mentioned in the testing panel.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEthnobotany\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis is a study of the relationship between plants and people, with a particular emphasis on traditional cultures.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEthnobotanical knowledge\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnowledge of Cucurbita pepo on Cucurbita pepo, medical use, and health benefits.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eKnowledgeable\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003ewho knew all the three key knowledge on Cucurbita pepo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eLess knowledge\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003ewho had one out of three of the key knowledge of Cucurbita pepo.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eQuality Control\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAseptic techniques were applied at all steps of plant extraction and inoculation into the culture media to minimize contamination. All the culture media were prepared according to the manufacturer\u0026rsquo;s instructions. The sterility and performance of the culture medium were tested. The pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical stages of quality assurance incorporated in the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the microbiology laboratory of the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences were strictly followed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe collected data were entered into EpiData 3.1 and exported to SPSS 23.0. Data cleaning was performed by running the frequency of each categorical variable and cross-tabulation of different categorical variables. Descriptive results are summarized as percentages, means, and standard deviations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthical Considerations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Health Research Ethics Review Committee (IHRERC) of the College of Health and Medical Sciences (reference number: C/AC/R/D/01/1085/21). An official support letter was written to the Gara Muleta Girawa Town Administration Office. Information on the study, including its objectives, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, was explained to each participant. Participants were informed of their right to refuse or withdraw from the study at any time. Participants\u0026rsquo; confidentiality was ensured by excluding names and identifiers from the questionnaire. Informed voluntary written and signed consent was obtained from all respondents throughout the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eAntimicrobial activity of seed extracts of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eagainst selected bacteria\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, 60 experimental studies were conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed extracts using water- and alcohol-based extraction. Accordingly, 30 tests were conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of the water-based seed extracts of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e at different concentrations (high, medium, and low) against \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e. No zones of inhibition were observed for \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilarly, 15 tests were conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of methanol against \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa.\u003c/em\u003e Minimal zones of inhibition were observed for \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e (6 mm) and \u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e (9 mm). A relatively large zone of inhibition was observed for \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e (22 mm). Finally, 15 tests were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed extract against \u003cem\u003eE. coli, S. aureus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa.\u003c/em\u003e The seed extracts showed a minimum zone of inhibition (5 mm) against \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eS .aureus\u003c/em\u003e and a relatively higher zone of inhibition (18 mm) was observed against \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAntibacterial activity of extracts of the seed of C. Pepo against selected bacteria using paper disc diffusion method at Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConc.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExtraction methods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZone of inhibition\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparative control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eE.coli\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(mean \u0026amp; SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(mean \u0026amp; SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(mean \u0026amp; SD)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCiprofloxacin\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(mean \u0026amp; SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGentamycin\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(mean \u0026amp; SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWater\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMethanol\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.5\u003csup\u003e˄\u003c/sup\u003e \u0026plusmn;1.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChloroform\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.912\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWater\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMethanol\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChloroform\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.912\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWater\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMethanol\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChloroform\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.5 \u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e*\u003c/b\u003eOne part of extracted plant: two part of extraction solvent; **One part of extracted plant:four part of extraction solvent; ***One part of extracted plant: eight part of extraction solvent; \u003csup\u003e˄\u003c/sup\u003e Numbers indicate the mean diameters of inhibition of triplicate experiments\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003eSD- Standard deviation; NA- not applicable\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eMinimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the different solvent extracts of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eCucurbita Pepo\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eto the selected bacterial pathogen\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for methanol- and chloroform-based extracts were determined using three serially diluted \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e extracts. The MIC of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e extract in both extraction solvents ranges from 4.2. mg/ml to 24mg/ml. An overview of the findings showed that a relatively lower concentration was required to inhibit ATCC \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e than the other tested bacteria. The least (4.2 mg/ml) minimum inhibitor concentration was observed in the chloroform-based extraction at low concentrations against ATCC \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e and methanol-based extracts against ATCC \u003cem\u003eS. aureus.\u003c/em\u003e The result shows that MIC of methanol extract range from 5.0 mg/L to 24.0 mg/L for tested organisms and chloroform extract had MIC that ranges from 4.2 mg/L to 20.5 mg/L for tested bacteria (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of the different solvent extracts of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed on selected pathogenic bacteria \u003cem\u003eGara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eATCC Bacteria\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcentrations\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMIC (mg/ml)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMethanol\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChloroform\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePositive control\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Ciprofloxacin)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24 .0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003eMIC-Minimum inhibitory concentrations\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthnobotanical knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSociodemographic characteristics of study participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, 384 study participants included in the study, gives a 100% response rate. The majority were male (212/384) and aged\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;34 years (219/384) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e).\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic characteristic study participants who have been enrolled to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021(N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;384)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e212\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e174\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge (in years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u003csub\u003e\u0026minus;\u003c/sub\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e219\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e165\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducational status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIlliterate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnly write \u0026amp; read\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCertificate level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiploma level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDegree level\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuration of stay\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne year\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwo years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMany years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e304\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonthly income (in Ethiopian birr)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u0026ndash;1000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e121\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1001\u0026ndash;10000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e256\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10001\u0026ndash;80000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOccupation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFarmer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e170\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMerchant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth professional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePolice\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOthers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eKnowledge of study participants on\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eApproximately 98.2% of the study participants had knowledge of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds with and 256 (66.8%) of them have been no knowledge regarding on the \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds that killed bacteria with (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnowledge of study participants on Cucurbita pepo seed by gender Gara Muleta, Girawa eastern Ethiopia, 2021 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;384).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResponses\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95% CI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you know \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e209\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e167\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.39\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you think that the \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e kills bacteria?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhich of the following nutrients do you think are in \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinerals\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026ndash;0.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProtein\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStarch\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVitamins\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo not know\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAre there any medicinal uses of the in \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e (roots, fruits and seeds?)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.11\u0026ndash;0.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e133\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e107\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you have information about health benefit of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e143\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study, the antibacterial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds was evaluated against three selected bacterial pathogens: one gram-positive (\u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e) and two gram-negative bacteria (\u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e). \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e shared the same trend, in that the diameter of the zone of inhibition was found to parallel with increasing concentrations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe effects of the different types of solvents used during extraction were clearly observed. The methanol extract of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds showed the best antibacterial activity, followed by the chloroform and water extracts. This result is supported by the study conducted by Yamaji et al., which showed that water-soluble compounds have no antimicrobial significance, water-soluble phenolic compounds generally demonstrate significant antioxidant properties.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e The trend of antibacterial susceptibility was found to be dependent on the polarity of the solvents. Parekh et al. reported that plant extracts from organic solvents have been found to have more consistent antimicrobial activity than water extract.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e In another study, among the 20 different solvents evaluated, chloroform was found to be the best solvent for the extraction of non-polar biologically active compounds.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, no difference was observed between Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. This finding is in agreement with the findings of Nurmahani et al., where no clear difference was found between the different types of bacteria on the antibacterial activity of the drug on fruit peel extracts.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e In another study, plant extracts showed that gram-positive strains are considered more susceptible to antibacterial agents than gram-negative strains due to different cell wall structures. \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e gram-negative strains possess an outer phospholipid membrane carrying structural components of lipopolysaccharides. Thus, the cell wall is impermeable to antibacterial agents. Compared with the gram-positive strain, it contains an outer peptidoglycan layer, which is not an effective barrier.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinimum inhibitory concentration test was used in diagnostic laboratories to confirm unusual resistance, to give a definitive answer when a borderline result is obtained by other methods of testing, or when disc diffusion methods are not appropriate.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e The result shows that minimum inhibitor concentration of methanol extract range from 5.0 mg/L to 24.0 mg/L for tasted organisms and chloroform extract had minimum inhibitory concentration that ranges from 4.2 mg/L to 20.5 mg/L for tested bacteria. The findings showed that a relatively low concentration was required to inhibit or kill ATCC \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e compared with the other tested bacteria.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedicinal plant knowledge is shaped by the ecological diversity of the country and varies across people with different religious, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e Out of the 384 study participants, 376 (98.2%) of the participants had knowledge of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds. However, 256 (66.8%) of them had no knowledge of the \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed antibacterial ability of the seed. Similarly, 240 (62.5%) and 255 (66.4) of the study participants had no information on medical use and health benefits of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds, respectively. Most respondents were above 31\u0026ndash;45 years of age. This hints at the fact that ethnomedicinal knowledge is concentrated in the elderly members of the community and the relative difficulty in its transfer from the elderly to the younger generation. Studies in different areas have shown that medicinal plant knowledge and the transfer of knowledge to the young generation have been affected by modernization.\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe methanol and chloroform extracts of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds exhibited notable antibacterial activities. \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed extract showed high activity against \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e among the methanol and chloroform extracts. However, further investigations are required to understand the precise mechanisms of action and isolate the compound(s) responsible for such activities. Many communities were not knowledgeable about the health benefits and medical uses of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eDisclosure\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis paper is based on the thesis of Mohammed Nasir. It has been published on the Haramaya University institutional repository: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://ir.haramaya.edu.et/hru/handle/123456789/4841\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://ir.haramaya.edu.et/hru/handle/123456789/4841\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. The author announced that they have no conflict of interests.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eM.N and A.S had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. W.W Participated in study conception. M.N and Z.A drafted and revised the paper. All authors approved the final draft of the manuscript for publication.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgment\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe express our gratefulness to all the study participants and all individuals who have in one way or another contributed to the completion of this study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMartha R, Gutierrez P. Review of Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin) its Phytochemistry and Pharmacology. 2016;6(1):12\u0026ndash;21.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArdabili AG, Farhoosh R, Khodaparast MHH. Chemical Composition and Physicochemical Properties of Pumpkin Seeds (Cucurbita pepo Subsp. pepo Var. Styriaka) Grown in Iran. J Agr Sci Tech. 2011;13:1053\u0026ndash;63.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBatool M, Modassar M, Nawaz A, Roobab U, Manzoor MF, Farooq U et al. Benefits of Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). 2022.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKl N, Lau M, Cp T. Fibre from pumpkin (cucurbita pepo l.) Seeds and rinds : Physico- chemical properties, antioxidant capacity and application as Fibre from Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) Seeds and Rinds : Physico-chemical Properties, Antioxidant Capacity and Application. Mal J Nutr. 2013;19(1).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNair B, Power T, Patil PS, Waghulde S. Antimicrobial activity of seed extract of Cucurbita pepo. 2017.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdnan M, Tariq A, Bibi R, Mussarat S, Fatima B, Ali N et al. Traditional medicines and their in-vitro proof against Staphylococcus aureus in Pakistan. 2018;11(6):355\u0026ndash;68.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEthiraj S, Balasundaram J. Phytochemical and Biological Activity of Cucurbita Seed Extract. J adances Biotechnol. 2016;6(1):813\u0026ndash;21.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoges A, Moges Y. Ethiopian Common Medicinal Plants: Their Parts and Uses in Traditional Medicine - Ecology and Quality Control. In: Plant Science - Structure, Anatomy and Physiology in Plants Cultured in Vivo and in Vitro Scientific.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSelvamohan T, Shibila VRS, Kishore S. Antimicrobial activity of selected medicinal plants against some selected human pathogenic bacteria. Adv Appl Sci Res. 2012;3(5):3374\u0026ndash;81.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBishaw M. Promoting traditional brief historical review medicine in Ethiopia: a of government policy. Sm SO Med. 1991;33(2):193\u0026ndash;200.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFarjana A, Zerin N, Kabir MS. Antimicrobial activity of medicinal plant leaf extracts against pathogenic bacteria. Asian Pac J Trop Dis. 2014;4(2):S920\u0026ndash;3.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBekalo TH, Woodmatas SD, Woldemariam ZA. An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by local people in the lowlands of Konta Special Woreda, southern nations, nationalities and peoples regional state, Ethiopia. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009;5(26).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChandra H, Bishnoi P, Yadav A, Patni B, Mishra AP, Nautiyal AR. Antimicrobial Resistance and the Alternative Resources with Special Emphasis on Plant-Based Antimicrobials\u0026mdash;A Review. Plants. 2017;6(16).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYamaji K, Ishimoto H, Usui N, Mori S. Organic acids and water-soluble phenolics produced by Paxillus sp. 60 / 92 together show antifungal activity against Pythium vexans under acidic culture conditions. Mycorrhiza. 2005;15:17\u0026ndash;23.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eParekh J, Jadeja D, Chanda S. Efficacy of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants for Potential Antibacterial Activity Efficacy of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants for Potential Antibacterial Activity. Turkish J Biol Vol. 2005;29(4).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH\u0026auml;rm\u0026auml;ld P, Vuorela\u0026rsquo; H, Tornquist K, Hiltunen R. Choice of Solvent in the Extraction of Angelica archangelica Roots with Reference to Calcium Blocking Activity. Plonta Med. 1991;58:176\u0026ndash;83.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNurmahani MM, Hamid A, Dek P. Antibacterial property of Hylocereus polyrhizus and Hylocereus undatus peel extracts. Int Food Res J. 2012;19.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAhmad I, Beg AZ. Antimicrobial and phytochemical studies on 45 Indian medicinal plants against multi-drug resistant human pathogens. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001;74(2):113\u0026ndash;23.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWiener MC, Horanyi PS. How hydrophobic molecules traverse the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2011. p. 10929\u0026ndash;30.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAndrews JM. JAC Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2001;48(S1):5\u0026ndash;16.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLuo W, Gao L, Zhao D, Zhang L, Gao B, Lei G et al. Yunvjian Improves Glucose and Insulin Function in Diabetic Rats by Regulating Gastric Emptying Function. 2023;2023:1\u0026ndash;11.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWassie SM, Aragie LL, Taye BW, Mekonnen LB. Knowledge, Attitude, and Utilization of Traditional Medicine among the Communities of Merawi Town, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Evidence-based Complement Altern Med. 2015;2015.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMekonnen N, Abebe E. Ethnobotanical knowledge and practices of traditional healers in Harar, Haramaya, Bati and Gara Muleta, Eastern Ethiopia. Ethiop Vet J. 2017;21(2):40\u0026ndash;61.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cucurbita pepo, antimicrobial activity, seed extraction, ethnobotanical knowledge","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4078341/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4078341/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn developing countries, 80% of the population use traditional medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs. \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e is a widely used food and medicinal plant as a natural anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and analgesic agent for treating various public health problems. This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita Pepo\u003c/em\u003e on the selected bacterial pathogen and Ethnobotanical knowledge Methods: The study was conducted at Gara Muleta, Eastern Ethiopia from April 30 to May 30, 2020. Sixty experimental tests were performed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seed extracts using three extraction methods (water-based, methanol-based, and chloroform) at different concentrations (higher, medium, and lower concentrations). An experimental study was carried out using three standard pathogenic bacteria (\u003cem\u003ePseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eEscherichia coli\u003c/em\u003e) using the disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 384 households in Girawa town to assess the ethnobotanical knowledge of the community regarding \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWater, methanol, and chloroform extracts of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds showed maximum inhibition zones of 9.0 mm, 12.0 mm, and 10.0 mm and minimum inhibitory concentrations of 18, 24, and 20 mg/mL, respectively, against \u003cem\u003eP. aeruginosa\u003c/em\u003e. Of the 384 study participants, 376 (98.2%) of the participants had ethnobotanical knowledge of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds. However, 240 (62.5%) and 255 (66.4%) of the study participants had no information about the medical use and health benefits of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe methanol and chloroform extracts of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e seeds possessed notable antibacterial activity, but water extract showed no zone of inhibition against \u003cem\u003eE. coli\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eS. aureus\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Cucurbita Pepo on the Selected Bacterial Pathogen and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Community at Gara Muleta, Girawa, Eastern Ethiopia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-03-13 16:14:34","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4078341/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"34c1f74c-1c41-4016-a105-4e3efaa87f2c","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 13th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-04-01T08:54:17+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-03-13 16:14:34","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4078341","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4078341","identity":"rs-4078341","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}