Abstract:
Within the framework of the discovery of new bioactive natural substances having biological properties, the present work is interested in the evaluation of the antimicrobial effect of the phenolic compounds of the cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica harvested in the region of Mostaganem-Algeria on the growth of a pathogen responsible for food poisoning and infectious diseases, namely Escherichia coli. The bioactive extract was obtained by maceration of a sample taken from the plant in aqueous ethanol, followed by filtration and evaporation under vacuum at 45°C. The hydroethanolic extract recovered was then concentrated to 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%. The measurements and controls related to: growth test, inhibition diameter, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. The experimental data were subjected to a statistical analysis of variance and comparison of means two by two according to the Newman and Keuls test.
The 100% concentrated hydro-ethanolic pus extract of Opuntia ficus indica cladodes was able to reduce E.Coli growth by about 97.8%. With an inhibition diameter of 18 mm, it marked an antimicrobial efficacy of around 50% compared to gentamicin; a powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic.
The obvious antimicrobial effect of this extract of prickly pear prickly pear snowshoes against bacteria is of the bactericidal type.
