Investigation of the Phytochemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Potential of the Fruit and Flower of Pistacia Atlantica Desf. as a Herbal Medicine Growing in North-west of Iran

Investigation of the compounds of rich plants growing in all over the world is of great importance. The performed survey was accomplished to analyze the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial potential of the fruit and flower of Pistacia atlantica subsp. kurdica Rech. f. which has been traditionally used for various therapeutic goals including tonic, aphrodisiac, and antiseptic aspects. Water, ethanol, acetone, and ethyl acetate solvents were utilized to obtain the extracts of P. atlantica which were screened to evaluate the existence of various phytochemicals including alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, flavonoids, resins, tannins, triterpenoids, steroids, starch, tannins, inorganic and organic acids, amino acids, coumarins, proteins, phenolic compounds, phlobatannins, saponins, antraquinones, oil and fat, flavonols, flavones, and chalcones. Moreover, the in vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the extracts were performed against five strains of bacteria including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and a fungus named Candida kefyr by agar plate well diffusion method. The findings of the survey suggest that the fruit and flower of P. atlantica are good sources of some phyto constituents such as carbohydrates, flavonoids, resins, inorganic acids, and phenolic compounds and have antibacterial effects against both gram-negative and -positive bacteria. These results prove the existence of many therapeutic chemical compounds in the fruit and flower of P. atlantica and its high potential of antimicrobial activity. This research supports the local use of this valuable plant as a herbal medicine, food additive, and jam.

Keywords:

Pistacia atlantica , Phytochemicals , Antibacterial activity , Plant extracts , herbal medicine