Preliminary Phytochemical and Antibacterial Studies of Olea europaea and Polygonum maritimum Libyan Plants

Polygonum maritimum and Olea europaea are the useful plants used in folk medicines for the treatment of various diseases. The present study was conducted to examine preliminary phytochemicals screening of aqueous and ethanlolic leaves extracts and antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of both plants of Libyan origin. The qualitative phytochemical studies of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the plants leaves were carried out using standard testing procedures for metabolites viz. tannins, saponins, phlobatanins, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Olea europaea showed the presence of tannins, saponins, phlobatanins, flavonoids, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides metabolites, however, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Polygonum maritimum exhibited the presence of tannins, saponins flavonoids, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides metabolites. The antibacterial activity of ethanolic leaves extract of both plants was tested using Gram positive bacterial strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and Gram negative bacterial strains (Proteus vulgaris, Eschericia coli, Citrobactor freundii). In general, the extracts of both plants exhibited considerable activity on the bacterial species. Both plants extracts selectively inhibited the growth of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria with zones of inhibition ranging from 8 mm to 10 mm at concentrations of 50 mg/ml. Present findings suggest that Polygonum and Olive leaves extracts exhibit antibacterial effect against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria and these plants seems to be considered for detailed investigation in an attempt to find out the chemical entities combating against pathogenic microorganisms.