EVALUATION OF THE ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF SEEDS EXTRACTS FROM FRUITS OF THE MYRTACEAE FAMILY

Objective: Fruit seeds, often discarded as waste by the food industry, are underutilized source of bioactive compounds. While the antimicrobial activity of Myrtaceae species leaves is well known, few studies have investigated its seeds for this purpose. This study evaluated the antimicrobial potential of hydroalcoholic extracts from seeds of cambuci (Campomanesia phaea), grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis), jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora), and pitanga (Eugenia uniflora). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were determined to Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Method: The ethanolic extracts were concentrated, the antimicrobial potential was assessed using the agar diffusion method, the MICs was determined by microdilution and MBC by drop plate technique. Results: All extracts showed inhibitory potencial. The lowest MICs were determined to grumixama extract (E. coli; 0.04 g/mL), followed by jabuticaba and pitanga (E. coli, L.monocytogenes, S. Typhimurium, and S. aureus; 0.06 g/mL), and cambuci (L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium; 0.07 g/mL). Although all extracts showed bactericidal activity at concentrations ranging from 0.06 to 0.95 g/mL, the lowest MBC was observed on pitanga’s extract to E. coli, S. Typhimurium, and S. aureus. Conclusion: The results highlight the potential of seeds as an alternative source of antimicrobial compounds, contributing to the valorization of industrial by-products and reducing the discard of materials with potential technological applications.