Comparative Antibacterial Activity Between Embryo And Endosperm Extracts In Argania Spinosa Seeds: In Vitro And In Silico Studies

Abstract

The antibacterial activity of Argania spinosa endosperm and embryo extracts has been assessed seen that these seed tissues have similar masses. This activity was realized using the diffusion method. The docking results were obtained using AutoDock software. Total phenols were present approximately in double mass in the endosperm, compared with the embryo (46 vs 27.2 mg GAE/g tissue DW). Methanolic extracts exhibited an activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of inhibition diameter ranging from 11 to 26 mm. MIC was 250 mg/ml and 125 mg/ml, respectively, in the presence of these bacteria, for the two tissues. The molecular docking highlighted the significant biological potential of catechin. Its favorable interaction with the P. aeruginosa target protein, marked by a high binding energy, for which the anchoring appears slightly more robust. We can conclude that the embryo and endosperm extracts could be effective as source of natural antibacterial agents to replace synthetic compounds that pose health and environmental problems.