The antimicrobial/sanitizing effect of aqueous extracts of P. biglobosa used as washing solution on tomatoes, peppers and oranges was determined. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi counts on the surface of the fruits and fruit vegetables were determined using serial dilution and pour plate techniques and compared prior to and after 4 days of daily washing for 3 minutes with 20ml (for each fruit and fruit vegetable) extracts of 5,000μg/ml and 10,000 μg/ml concentrations respectively. Reduction in bacterial and fungal count indicates antimicrobial/sanitizing effect of the extracts. A high but not statistically significant (P < 0.05) bacterial and fungal count reduction was achieved, while counts of bacteria and fungi on control experiment were observed to have increased. The results have shown the potential use of aqueous extract of P. biglobosa as an antimicrobial washing solution to reduce the count and/or eliminate potential spoilage and pathogenic organisms on the surface of fruits and fruit vegetables prior to storage. The implications of bacteria and fungi count reductions on surfaces of fruits and vegetables were discussed. Further research is however recommended with higher concentrations of P. biglobosa extract and longer duration of application.

Keywords: Antimicrobial, Washing Solution, Aerobic Mesophilic, Fruits