Abstract:
Date pits contain valuable components but are often overlooked and considered as
waste. In order to valorize date pits, this study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial
activity of ethanolic extracts prepared from the pits of two varieties of Phoenix
dactylifera L.: "Ghars" and "Timjouhart". The antimicrobial activity test showed that
the ethanolic extracts [600mg/ml] were active against all tested microbial strains,
including Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia
coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. Particularly, they exhibited an inhibition zone
diameter of 16 ± 1 mm; 14 ± 0.5 mm against Staphylococcus aureus for the Ghars and
Timjouhart varieties, respectively. On the other hand, the least sensitive strains were
Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, with inhibition zone diameters ranging between
9 ± 0.5 mm et 10 ± 0.5 mm for both studied varieties. The presence of bioactive
compounds such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds in date pits may be
responsible for their observed antimicrobial activity. In conclusion, Ethanol extract,
with its antimicrobial properties against various microbial strains attributed to its
bioactive compounds, could be utilized for the development of new drugs or
therapeutic formulations to combat infections.
