Evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal activities of Pistacia atlantica and Pistacia khinjuk

Abstract

Medicinal plants are renowned for their various therapeutic properties, including antibacterial and antifungal activities. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and antifungal activities of P. atlantica and P. khinjuk. Hydroalcoholic extracts of P. atlantica and P. khinjuk were prepared to assess their antibacterial and antifungal activities. Standard strains of Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Aspergillus flavus were utilized for the evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal activities. The inhibitory effects of the extracts on the growth of bacterial and fungal strains were evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) through a 96-well microplate analysis following CLSI guidelines. Our findings revealed that the MICs and MBCs of P. atlantica and P. khinjuk for bacterial strains ranged from 0 to 64 mg/mL. Additionally, the MIC and MFC values for fungal strains ranged from 16 to 64 mg/mL. The results indicated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia were the most sensitive bacterial strains to P. atlantica. Furthermore, Aspergillus flavus was identified as the most sensitive fungal strain to P. atlantica. In conclusion, these findings suggest that P. atlantica and P. khinjuk possess antibacterial and antifungal effects. The paper argues that these plant extracts could be used as a supplementary treatment alongside conventional antibacterial and antifungal drugs.