Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activity of Pistacia atlantica and Prunus persica Plants of Libyan Origin

Pistacia atlantica and Prunus persica are the useful plants used in traditional medicines for the treatment of various diseases. In the present investigation we have examined the 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 by using standard testing procedures for different metabolites viz. tannins, saponins, phlobatanins, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Pistacia atlantica showed the common presence of tannins, phlobatanins, flavonoids, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides metabolites, however, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Prunus persica exhibited the common presence of tannins, saponins, phlobatanins, and flavonoids metabolites. The antibacterial screening of ethanolic leaves extract of both plants was performed against Gram positive bacterial strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and Gram negative bacterial strains (Proteus vulgaris, Eschericia coli, Citrobactor freundii). Present findings suggest that Pistacia and Prunus leaves extracts possess antibacterial effect against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. In conclusion, phytochemicals present in both plants may be responsible for displaying different antibacterial actions. Thus these plants seems to be considered for further detailed study in an attempt to investigate the bioactive chemical entities responsible for antibacterial action against different pathogenic microbes.