Antibacterial Activity of Moringa oleifera Seeds Extract on Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Wastewater of Oued Bechar, Bechar Province, Southwest Algeria

Abstract

The increase of drug-resistant pathogens occurring due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics and their rejection in nature are becoming a serious problem. This situation has motivated researchers across the globe to search for suita-ble alternatives in natural compounds. Moringa oleifera has been the object of several researches due to its multiple uses, as its seeds are known to possess antibacterial and antifungal properties. In the present study, pathogenic bacteria were isolated from wastewaters of Oued Bechar; the in vitro anti-bacterial activity of aqueous seeds extract against 30 strains, and the phyto-chemical screening of this plant were investigated. The results of isolated strains revealed the existence of various pathogenic bacteria dominated by: Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Klebsiella spp, Enterobacter spp; Streptococ-cus D, Pseudomonas spp , Vibrio spp. the inhibition diameters of aqueous seeds extract with and without oil removal ranged from 7mm to 21mm, and 8mm to 27mm respectively, with a significant antibacterial effect was ob-served against 3 of 4 Streptococci D around 1g /ml disc. Additionally, the phyto-chemical screening results showed that seeds of M. oleifera are rich in phyto-molecules such as terpenoids and tannins which are characterized by antifungal and antibacterial activity. The results of this study suggest that M. oleifera seeds from South-Western Algeria can be a source of natural anti-bacterial agent.