PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS IN METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF FRUIT PEEL AND SEED OF CITRUS CULTIVARS AND THEIR ANTIBACTERIAL POTENTIAL AGAINST PATHOGENIC GRAM-POSITIVE AND GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL STRAINS

In the era of emerging antibiotic resistant microbes, it is necessary to search new antimicrobial resources which can be proved beneficial against pathogens. Citrus fruit having a great economic importance with chemical composition useful to treat pathogenic microbes. These antimicrobial compounds are abundantly present not only in the pulp but also in peel and seeds which is produced in tons but thrown away as waste. Therefore this study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical composition of peel and seed of different cultivars of citrus along with the antibacterial activity of citrus peel extracts in three different solvents. Peel and seed extracts of eight different cultivars of citrus were evaluated. Antibacterial activity of citrus peel extract against five bacterial strains were assessed. The results revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins and steroids in all the extracts. Antimicrobial studies revealed differential antimicrobial activities against two strains of gram-positive and three strains of gram-negative bacteria. Zones of inhibition ranging from 6 to 25 mm were observed. The results of this study reveals that citrus waste can have a great antibacterial activity which can be used against troublesome microbes.