Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF SALVADORA PERSICA AND NIGELLA SATIVA ESSENTIAL OILS: ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES AGAINST MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT PATHOGENS

AMINE RKHAILA 1,2, MAROUANE AOUJI 3, HAMADA IMTARA 4*, SOUKAINA MAAZOUZI 2,5 , RAMZI A. MOTHANA 6, ABLA EL HARTITI 2, OMAR M. NOMAN 6, MAHMOUD TARAYRAH 7 , KHADIJA OUNINE 2

1 Laboratory of Biotechnology, Agri-food, Materials and Environment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology - Mohammedia, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
2 Plant, Animal and Agro-Industry Productions Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra-Morocco
3 Laboratory of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra-Morocco
4 Faculty of Medicine, Arab American University, Ramallah, Palestine
5 Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques, Dakhla-Morocco
6 Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
7 Groupe Hospitalier Cochin-Port Royal, Faculty of Medicine, Institut Cochin, Paris University, CNRS, IN-SERM, Paris 75000, France

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The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant public health challenge. This study explores the potential of Salvadora persica and Nigella sativa essential oils, extracted via hydrodistillation, as natural alternatives. Hydrodistillation yielded 9% essential oil from S. persica and 1% from N. sativa. Chromatographic analysis revealed distinct chemical profiles: S. persica oil primarily contains oleic, palmitic and stearic acids, while N. sativa oil is rich in terpenes and fatty acids. Both oils exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with N. sativa showing stronger antiradical and iron reduction effects. Anti- bacterial efficacy was tested against multidrug-resistant strains, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Both oils demonstrated antibacterial activity at 100 µg/disc, except against E. coli. However, N. sativa extract was effective against E. coli at higher concentrations (MIC: 1000 µg/mL, MBC: 2500 µg/mL), while S. persica showed the lowest MIC (1000 µg/mL) and MBC (2500 µg/mL) against L. monocytogenes. These findings highlight the potential of S. persica and N. sativa essential oils in combating multidrug-resistant bacteria and their applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and aromatherapy.