Abstract

The essential oil from the gum of Pistacia atlantica Desf. grown in Algeria was obtained by the hydrodistillation method, and its antimicrobial activities against the growth of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli andStreptococcus pyogenes were evaluated using three different methods; agar disc diffusion and dilution broth methods and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) which was subsequently, determined. The results of the study revealed thatessential oil resin of P. atlantica has antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and -negative bacteria which are resistant to commonly used antimicrobial agents,and they were considerably dependent on concentration.

Key words: Gum of Pistacia atlantica Desf., essential oil, antimicrobial activities,Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes.