PRE- LABORATORY REPORT in MICROBIOLOGY

Student Name: ENGADA, Von Regina Franchesca T. Instructor's Name: Prof. Alberto Dimasuay
Date the lab was performed/ submitted: June
25, 2021 EXPERIMENT #: 4

I. Introduction / Purpose

As mentioned in the previous experiments, microbes are microscopic, single-celled organisms.

We also know that some of the microbes known to humans are bacteria, viruses, and fungi and
we have seen all of them in action in thejtm2021
previous experiments. In today’s experiment, we are
going to learn about antimicrobial agents. These antimicrobial agents helps to kill or stop the
growth of the microorganisms that surrounds us. It includes antibiotics to help fight bacteria and
antifungal which fights fungi. It also helps in preventing our foods from being spoiled. This
experiment will be allowing us to identify the antimicrobial properties of different plant extracts
– lemon extract, guava leaves extract, and aloe vera extract.

II. Materials and Methods

Jtm 2021 pg. 1

Bananas Paper towels or clean cloth

Aloe Vera juice extract Old newspapers

Guava leaves extract

Lemon juice extract

4 clear, clean glass containers

3 clean bowls

Methods:

1. Prepare all the materials needed for the experiment.

2. Clean the 4 containers and dry them thoroughly.
3. Label each bottle with the respective plant extracts.
a. One container will be the negative control.
4. Prepare first the plant extracts.
a. Aloe Vera Juice Extract:
 Secure at least two aloe vera leaves, wash and pat it dry.
 Once it is dry, cut the aloe vera into half and peel the skin off to expose the gel
like part of the plant. jtm2021
 Scoop all of the gel and whisk it in a bowl until it obtains a foam like
consistency.
b. Guava Leaves Extract:
 Boil 400 grams of guava leaves and add two cups of water.
 Stir it occasionally for 30 minutes.
 Separate the leaves from the extract and let it cool down.
c. Lemon Juice Extract
 Cut the lemon in half.
 Squeeze the lemon to make the lemon juice come out and pour it in a bowl.
 If there are any seeds, remove the seeds.
5. After preparing the plant extracts, peel the skin of the banana and cut the banana meat into 1
each thick, you should have at least 16 pieces of bananas.
6. Once cut, separate 4 slices of bananas and place it in a glass container & secure the lid.
7. Next, place 4 slices of bananas into each plant extracts. Let the bananas soak in these extracts
for 10 minutes.
8. Using an aseptic technique, let the soaked bananas dry in a paper towel or clean cloth for 2
minutes.
9. Once dry, place the dried bananas into the remaining containers and secure the lid.
10. Store the bananas in a dim room and keep it away from sunlight for 5 days.
11. After 5 days, observe the bananas and list down the different properties of it.

Jtm 2021 pg. 2

III. Reference

References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Antimicrobial. Retrieved from Cambridge Dictionary:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/antimicrobial

Effect of Aloe Vera Gel in Extending the Shelf Life of Banana. (n.d.). Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/lenovo/Downloads/toaz.info-effect-of-aloe-vera-gel-in-extending-the-shelf-life-
of-banana-musa-acuminata-pr_ba1ec33462c17416bbe14054f3e95054.pdf

Goncalves, F. A., Neto, M. A., BEZERRA, J. N., MACRAE, A., SOUSA, O. V., FONTELES-FILHO, A. A., &
VIEIRA, R. H. (2008). ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF GUAVA, Psidium guajava LINNAEUS, LEAF
EXTRACTS. Retrieved from https://www.scielo.br/j/rimtsp/a/WM8vWqjgJjzcsBB8nT8RRXq/?
lang=en&format=pdf

Informed Health. (2010, October 6). What are microbes? . Retrieved from NCBI:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279387/

Kahramano, I., Chen, C., Chen, J., & Wan, C. (2019, November 6). Chemical Constituents, Antimicrobial
Activity,and Food Preservative Characteristics of Aloe vera Gel. Retrieved from MDPI:
file:///C:/Users/lenovo/Downloads/agronomy-09-00831.pdf
jtm2021
NDTV Food. (2020, April 21). 15 Incredible Benefits Of Guava Leaf Tea. Retrieved from NDTV Food:
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/15-incredible-benefits-of-guava-leaf-tea-1445183

Zwolak, J. (n.d.). What Happens to Bananas Dipped in Lemon Juice? Retrieved from LEAFtv:
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/what-happens-to-bananas-dipped-in-lemon-juice/

NOTE: Use additional sheet if necessary.

Jtm 2021 pg. 3

 Laboratory Observation Sheet

Student Name: ENGADA, Von Regina Franchesca T. Instructor's Name: Prof. Alberto Dimasuay
Date the lab was performed/ submitted: June 25, 2021 EXPERIMENT #: 4

Prepared all materials needed for the

experiment.

- Bananas
- Plant extracts
o Aloe Vera
o Lemon
o Guava Leaves
jtm2021 - 4 clear, clean glass containers
- 3 clean bowls
- Paper towels or clean cloth
- Old newspapers

Preparing the plant extracts first.

- Preparing the guava leaves

Jtm 2021 pg. 4

 Preparing the plant extracts first.

- Boiling the guava leaves and

stirring it occasionally.

Preparing the plant extracts first.

- Whisking the gel like structure of

the aloe vera until a foam like
texture is achieved.
jtm2021

Jtm 2021 pg. 5

 Preparing the plant extracts first.

- Cut the lemons in half and

squeezed it until its juices came
out

Preparing the plant extracts first.

- From left to right: lemon juice

extract, guava leaves extract, aloe
jtm2021 vera extract.

Preparing the bananas.

Cut 16 pieces of the bananas. It should be

at least 1 inch thick.

Jtm 2021 pg. 6

 After cutting the bananas, soak 4 pieces of
bananas into each plant extracts for 10
minutes. The 4 left bananas will be placed
into a clean jar.

The last four pieces of the bananas will

placed into a clean jar and will serve as the
control group.

jtm2021

After soaking the bananas for 10 minutes,

allow it to dry on a clean tissue paper or
cloth. Dry the bananas for 2 minutes.

Remember to use aseptic technique when

trying to place the bananas on a clean
tissue paper.

From top to bottom: Lemon extract, guava

leaves.

On the right: Aloe vera extract

Jtm 2021 pg. 7

 Placing the 4 pieces of bananas on their
respective containers.

*The label was incorrect, it should be

guava leaves not guyabano.

Placing the 4 pieces of bananas on their

respective containers.
jtm2021

Jtm 2021 pg. 8

 Placing the 4 pieces of bananas on their
respective containers.

After placing the bananas on their

containers, wrap them with newspaper or
jtm2021 recycled papers.
After wrapping them, place them where it
is dim and leave it for 5 days.

Jtm 2021 pg. 9

 The result of the experiment after 5 days.

Control Group – slight changes, some

bananas have bruises.

Aloe Vera Extract – Slimy consistency

formed at the bottom of the container.
Some bananas have bruises and there a
change it color.

Guava Leaves Extract – Slimy consistency

at the bottom of the container. Bananas
have bruises and there’s a big change in
color. Banana turned brown.

Lemon Juice Extract – Slight changes,

watery consistency formed at the bottom
of the container. No color change and
slight banana bruises seen. Color is more
yellowish than the rest of the bananas.

jtm2021

(To be utilized during the conduct of the actual experiment or laboratory activities. Attach picture/pictures of the actual
performance of the experiment.)

POST- LABORATORY REPORT in MICROBIOLOGY

Name: ENGADA, Von Regina Franchesca T. Instructor's Name: Prof. Alberto Dimasuay
Date the lab was performed/ submitted: June
25, 2021 EXPERIMENT #: 4

I. Data

Jtm 2021 pg. 10

 For this experiment, we were tasked to determine the antimicrobial property of different plant
extracts – aloe vera, lemon juice, and guava leaves. We used bananas and placed it on the
different plant extracts to determine which exhibits an antimicrobial property. It was not that
easy to do this experiment due the materials needed are not accessible in my area. My mother
had to go around to find the guava leaves needed. Also, we don’t have a blender which made it
hard for me to whisk the aloe vera extract until a foam like consistency formed. Nevertheless,
this experiment was a great experience since we were able to discover which has antimicrobial
properties.

BANANAS CONDITION AFTER SOAKING IT FROM DIFFERENT PLANT EXTRACTS FOR 5 DAYS

jtm2021

CHARACTERISTICS OBSERVED ON THE BANANAS AFTER 5 DAYS

CONTROL ALOE VERA GUAVA LEAVES LEMON JUICE
GROUP
COLOR Yellow color Slight yellowish Brown in color Bright yellow in color
to brownish
ODOR Sweet rotten smell
WITH BRUISES OR Slight dark Has dark spots Very visible dark spots Slight dark spots
DARK SPOTS spots

By following the instructions given, I was able to create this output. As you can see from the
photos above, there’s a big difference in the appearance of the bananas from control group to
the different plant extracts. The color of the bananas in the controlled group shows how the
bananas would look like after 5 days. It’s color slight yellow with some brownish spots. While
the aloe vera group showed a slight yellowish to brownish color. The guava leaves group
showed brownish color while the lemon group showed slight bright yellow color. Some bananas
also have bruises or brownish spots although the bananas with lemon juice extracts doesn’t
have any brownish spots.

Jtm 2021 pg. 11

 As for the odor, the bananas smelled spoiled or rotten. My mother also insisted to throw the
bananas after 5 days, upon observing it, I noticed that the container popped after opening it.
Also, there were gas or air seen after popping the lid off the container.

II. Results and Discussions/Analysis (RDA)

Based on the data listed above, the bananas that has least changes are the ones dipped in
lemon juice extract while the bananas that was dipped in guava leaves extract showed many
changes in terms of appearance.

According to an article from LEAFtv, when bananas are exposed to air, it produces an appetizing
result or causes it to turn into a brown color. It is because the air oxidized enzymes in the
banana. After dipping the bananas into different plant extracts, we have noticed differences
from the control group and the different plant extracts. As for the physical appearance of the
bananas, the one with lemon juice showed little changes. This is because the lemon juice is
acidic, and its acidity deforms the enzymes in the banana which prevents it from browning.
Lemon juice is also high in Vitamin C and Vitamin C is known as a natural oxidant which helped
in preventing oxygen in the air from reacting with the banana.

For the guava leaves extract, although it contains antioxidant and has high levels of Vitamin C,
jtm2021
the bananas still discolored and turned into a brownish color. After boiling the guava leaves, the
extract’s color was brown which contributed to the browning of the bananas. According to
Goncalves et. al. (2008), guava leaves are used as a medicine against gastroenteritis and child
diarrhea to those who cannot afford antibiotics which is a very big help to these people.

As for the aloe vera, according to the research entitled “Effect of Aloe Vera Gel in Extending the
Shelf Life of Banana”, aloe vera has the ability to prolong the shelf life of various fruits and
vegetables through minimization of the rate of respiration and maintaining quality attributes. In
the research, the aloe vera is very effective in prolonging the shelf life of the banana even after 9
days. Upon reading this, I realized that maybe my aloe vera extract wasn’t enough to make the
bananas shelf life to extend but still, it is still effective enough to prolong the life of the banana
after storing it inside the jar after 5 days. According to Kahramanoglu & et. al (2019), adding aloe
vera gel coating prevents microbial growth.

III. Conclusions

In conclusion, different plant extracts have different effects when placed on foods. Although
they all don’t have the same effect to the bananas, it still proved that it inhibits the growth of
microbes to these bananas even after storing them for 5 days. Although the only with very
visible slight changes is the one with the lemon since it has minimal changes, and it even turned
the banana into a bright yellow color. These plant extracts could be helpful to those who don’t

Jtm 2021 pg. 12

 have enough money to but medicine to treat diseases in relation with bacteria, fungi, or
different microbes.

IV. Figures and Graphs

BANANAS CONDITION AFTER SOAKING IT FROM DIFFERENT PLANT EXTRACTS FOR 5 DAYS

Fig 1 – Banana condition after 5 days

jtm2021

V. References

References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Antimicrobial. Retrieved from Cambridge Dictionary:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/antimicrobial

Effect of Aloe Vera Gel in Extending the Shelf Life of Banana. (n.d.). Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/lenovo/Downloads/toaz.info-effect-of-aloe-vera-gel-in-extending-the-shelf-life-
of-banana-musa-acuminata-pr_ba1ec33462c17416bbe14054f3e95054.pdf

Goncalves, F. A., Neto, M. A., BEZERRA, J. N., MACRAE, A., SOUSA, O. V., FONTELES-FILHO, A. A., &
VIEIRA, R. H. (2008). ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF GUAVA, Psidium guajava LINNAEUS, LEAF
EXTRACTS. Retrieved from https://www.scielo.br/j/rimtsp/a/WM8vWqjgJjzcsBB8nT8RRXq/?
lang=en&format=pdf

Informed Health. (2010, October 6). What are microbes? . Retrieved from NCBI:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279387/

Kahramano, I., Chen, C., Chen, J., & Wan, C. (2019, November 6). Chemical Constituents, Antimicrobial
Activity,and Food Preservative Characteristics of Aloe vera Gel. Retrieved from MDPI:
file:///C:/Users/lenovo/Downloads/agronomy-09-00831.pdf

Jtm 2021 pg. 13

NDTV Food. (2020, April 21). 15 Incredible Benefits Of Guava Leaf Tea. Retrieved from NDTV Food:
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/15-incredible-benefits-of-guava-leaf-tea-1445183

Zwolak, J. (n.d.). What Happens to Bananas Dipped in Lemon Juice? Retrieved from LEAFtv:
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/what-happens-to-bananas-dipped-in-lemon-juice/

NOTE: Use additional sheet if necessary. Refer on the course teaching and learning plan for the RUBRIC FOR WRITTEN OUTPUT FOR
LABORATORY REPORT.

jtm2021

Jtm 2021 pg. 14