Phytochemical and Antibacterial Activity of Phoenix Dactylifera (Date Fruit on Selected Clinical Isolates)

Phoenix dactylifera, Date fruit has been used traditionally as medicine for the treatment of ailments such as intestinal disorders, fever bronchitis, and wound. This study was conducted to determine the phytochemical and antibacterial activity of Phoenix dactylifera fruit against two clinical isolates; Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The sample of date fruits were collected ,crushed, air dried ,blended into powder and extracted using methanol and water .The phytochemical constituent of the extracts were determined as well as the antibacterial activity of the cruide extract against the test isolates using Agar well diffusion methods. The result of the Phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, anthraquinone, saponin, terpenoids and tannin while the antibacterial screening of the extract indicates that Date fruit extract are effective on the two isolates. However, Staphlococcus aureus had the higher diameter of zone of inhibition of 24mm while Escherichial coli was less sensitive to the extract with 9mm inhibitry zone at 200mg/ml Conc for cold water extract while for Methanol extract Staph aureus has 17mm,zone of inhibition and E.coli has about 15mm of zone of inhibition both at 200mg/ml Conc .Therefore, the plant extract could be used as potential source of natural product for the treatment of infection