Introduction towards various bacterial strains. Recently, the acceptance of traditional medicine as an alternative to
1. Introduction towards various bacterial strains. Recently, the acceptance of traditional medicine as an alternative to
The genus Genista includes 87 species [1] and has the available antibiotics has led authors to investigate been the subject of numerous phytochemical studies; the antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants [7]; these works have allowed to isolate alkaloids moreover, the increasing use of plant extracts in the principally [2, 3] as well as phenolic compounds in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries suggests particular flavonoids and isoflavonoids [4, 5]. There is that, in order to find active compounds, a systematic
19 Genista in Algeria among which 11 are endemic; study of medicinal plants is very important [8]. but no study was made on Genista numidica ssp.
numidica (Gnn) before. This species was traditionally
2. Materials and Methods
used for its seeds hypoglycemic effect.
2.1 The Plant Material
The antimicrobial activity and the chemical composition of Genista numidica Gn (not precised ssp.)
The plant used in this study was collected in Cap de essential oils were studied [6]. The aim of our work
Garde (Annaba) in Edough mountain (1,008 m) which was to investigate the microscopic analysis, the
is a part of the alpine chain in North-Eastern Algeria phytochemical screening and the antimicrobial activity
arisen from the collision of the African and European of Gnn aerial parts, essentially flowers, seeds and pods
plate [9]; it’s an old island connected to the continent by pliocenis sediments which cover the depression
Corresponding author: Oumessaad Toubal, Ph.D., associate professor, research fields: ecology and plant
whose middle is occupied by Fetzara lake [10]. The biotechnology. E-mail: oumessaad2000@yahoo.fr.
vegetation is insulinary and the ecological
Preliminary Studies and Antimicrobial Evaluation of the Aerial Parts
of Genista numidica ssp. numidica
characteristics are illustrated in Table 1. The flora of anthocyanes, tannins and leucoanthocyanes, and the this region belongs to mauritanian-mediterranean
preliminary tests on the powder searching for alkaloids, domain and numidian sector; it is rich of about 400
flavonoids, terpenes and steroids; all these tests were species among wich 25% are noticeable, 15% rares and
carried out according to Ref. [8]. We determined also 7% endemic with Gnn. It is an arbustive trifolieae
the proteins % by Kheldjal method. fire-resistant, and has leaves with xeromorph structure.
The antimicrobial activity needs the following The nomenclature [9] and the classification is
materials: Methanol extract, petroleum ether extract and Genista numidica Spach, subsp. numidica Spach.
dichloromethane extract of the mixture of leaves and (Batt.); Vernacular name is Genêt, Tektek, Haberchet.
stems; the ethanolic extract of flowers, seeds and pods; It is important to study the environmental and climatic
the active principles (flavonoids, saponins) of the mixture conditions of the plant because they could influence the
extract and the infusion of each of them; the extraction results. was made by the soxhlet; the extracts are cleared of
The climate is mediterranean, warm sub-humid on solvents by evaporation (using a rotavapor) before the coast (Annaba, R = 700 mm, T max = 30°C, T min = 8°C).
incorporation against bacterial strains ATCC (American This species grow on schist, metamorphic limestone
Type Culture Collection): Gram+ and Gram- oxidative (superposition of paleosols with terra-rossa and
and fungus: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, fossilized dunes), numidian stoneware and seaside
Proteus mirabilis , Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas exposed cliffs; soils analysis of the sampled site
aeruginosa , Acinetobacter baumanii, Streptococcus showed a degraded forestry soils, with sifty and sandy
faecalis , Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida albicans, (SS) structure [11].
Proteus vulgaris and Enterobacter aerogenes which were The bush of Gnn is a shape of degradation of driest
obtained from the Bacteriology Laboratoy, Faculty of parts of Cork-Oak forest on low and middle sloping
medicine, HCU of Dorban in Annaba. relief (0-400 m) in the seaside (from Tunisian border to
The antimicrobial activities were carried out by the Bejaia,) and seems to play a transition role between
disc diffusion method of Müller-Hinton on solid Cork-Oak and oleo-lentistic formation.
medium; the strains were reactivated using an 20 h Aerial parts of Gnn (flowers, seeds, pods) are
culture growth at 37°C and adjusted to 10 8 CFU/mL. collected on April 2011, harvesting, drying, grinding,
The bacterial strains was sowed on the surface of the and chemical and antimicrobial testing were conducted
agar plates in radial spots form by means of swab and on May 2011.
suspensions of young bacterial cultures prepared according to the committee for laboratory standards
2.2 The Different Analysis institute (CLSI) [13]; the application is made by sterile
The Microscopic analysis was made in filters paper discs (6 mm diameter, 06/limp) which were Pharmacognosy Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine,
placed on the inoculated agar surfaces and impregnated Annaba. A small quantity of powder is put down on the
with 10 µL of each solution (10% dilution); the plates blade of microscope with lactic reagent [12] and
were incubated during 24 h at 37°C; [14] and the reading covered with a small strip and warmed.
of the results was made by the measurement of the The chemical screening consisted on preliminary
inhibition diameter around the disc. tests on the infusion (10%), searching for saponins [8],