Antibacterial Properties of Leaves and Peels Extracts of <i>Citrus aurantifolia</i> cultivated in Algeria against Multi-Drug Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Originating from Raw Milk

Abstract

Plants have an increased consumer preference and acceptability for the treatment of several diseases. Here, the  antibacterial properties of organic extracts obtained from leaves and peels of Citrus aurantifolia from Algeria have been  characterized. Two solvents, methanol, and ethanol, were employed to extract the bioactive components. Quantitative  analysis of total phenols and flavonoids was conducted for the different extracts. The antibacterial activity was tested  against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains originating from raw milk and reference strains including   Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Bacillus cereus  ATCC 11778. The results revealed that leaves and peels extracts displayed significant antibacterial activity against the  tested bacteria. The inhibition zone diameters observed ranged from 16.00 mm to 22.00 mm. The highest antimicrobial  effect was observed with the ethanol extracts against the multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains, as indicated by a  minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.56 mg/ml. The highest total phenolics and flavonoids contents were found to be  96 mg GAE/g and 54 mg QE/g in peels. Hence, the reported results unveil valuable insights into the antibacterial effects  of Citrus aurantifolia extracts which have potential antimicrobial applications.