Abstract
The growth retardation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by heat or acid treated leek (Allium tuberosum) extract was observed. Antimicrobial activity of the leek was the most effective when fresh leek extract was used, but it was stable after heat treatment at 68$^{\circ}C$ for 30 min or 98$^{\circ}C$ for 20 min. It was also relatively stable after incubated at pH 2.0 for 3 hrs. The antimicrobial activity in leek was not detected after dialysis with molecular weight cutoff of 12,000. Therefore it seems to be small molecule with molecular weight lower than 12,000.