Antibacterial Effect of Aqueous Extract of Mastic Tree (Pistacia Atlantica) Leaf on a Number of Oral and Gastrointestinal Bacteria

Abstract

Introduction: Improper use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance. On the other hand, due to the uncertainty of the stability and safety of artificial antioxidants, their use is not recommended. Plants can be used as a reliable and natural source of antioxidants. The Mastic (Baneh) plant with the scientific name of Pistacia atlantica is remarkable due to its various compounds and antibacterial properties. This stud aimed to investigate the antibacterial effects of aqueous extract of mastic tree leaf on six oral and gastrointestinal bacteria.

Methods: In this study, the values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of aqueous extract of mastic leaf against 6 bacterial species were determined by the microdilution broth method. Each experiment was repeated three times. The results were analyzed using SPSS22 software by One-Way ANOVA and the least significant difference (LSD) statistical tests.

Results: All studied bacteria were sensitive to different concentrations of aqueous extract of mastic leaves. The mean MIC of aqueous extract of mastic was significantly different between the studied bacteria (P<0.05); So that the sensitivity of gram-positive bacteria to the extract was significantly higher than gram-negative bacteria (P<0.05). The mean MBC of aqueous extract of mastic did not show a significant difference between tested bacteria (P=0.253).

Conclusion: This study showed that the aqueous extract of mastic leaves has antibacterial properties that can be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.