Antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of Mexican Mejhoul date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seed extract against pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

The incidence of infections in hospital environments is a critical global health issue, compromising people's health and lives. The current paradigm of disinfection focuses on the resistance of bacteria growing as biofilms, which gives antibiotic resistance. Natural antibacterials from fruit byproducts are alternative solutions to reduce the use of antibiotics and synthetic disinfectants. This study aimed to explore the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of date seed extract against pathogenic bacteria. Characterization of date seed extract re-vealed a total phenolic and flavonoid content of 34.67 ± 1.77 mg GAE/g and 123.06 ± 2.94 mg QE/g, respectively; gallic and cinnamic acid were also identified in the extract. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations were 12 and 16 mg/mL, for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; while for Staphylococcus aureus were 8 and 12 mg/mL, respec-tively. A sub-inhibitory concentration (0.5 MIC) inhibited biofilm formation of the pathogens, reducing the viable cells adhered to stainless steel surfaces at 30 min by 1.03, 0.16, and 1.62 log CFU/cm2 and at 24 h of incubation by 0.26, 2.07, and 4.15 log CFU/cm2 for E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus, respectively. These results demonstrate the potential of mex-ican Mejhoul date seed as a source of bioactive compounds with antibacterial and antibiofilm activity.