Antibacterial activity of garlic (Allium sativum) extract and molecular docking studies of allicin

Introduction: Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for a long time as a spice or traditional medicine. Garlic contains allicin compound which has the role as anti-infective agents. This study aims to determine the potential of garlic as an antimicrobial agent in Staphylococcus aureus and Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria in vitro and determine the activity of allicin as an antibacterial in silico. Method: This study used garlic extract with the aqueous extract method. The antimicrobial potential test used in this study was the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. The activity of allicin compounds as antibacterial agents was explored through in silico analysis using molecular docking methods to target proteins that play a role in bacterial division (FtsZ protein) with Autodock Vina. Results: The results showed that there were significant differences in the size of the inhibitory zone of garlic extract (Allium sativum) on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (p <0.05) and Corynebacterium diphtheriae (p <0.05). The results of in silico analysis of allicin compounds showed significant inhibitory activity on the FtsZ protein compared to penicillin, with an affinity of -10 kcal/mol. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that garlic extract (Allium sativum) shows antibacterial potential in vitro. In addition, allicin compounds contained in garlic extract have the potential as one of the alternative targets for new antibiotics.