Abstract

Biological screening of extracts from bark of Prunus persica was carried out. The crude methanolic extract and its various fractions namely petroleum ether, dichloromethane, chloroform and ethyl acetate were investigated for their antibacterial, antifungal, phytotoxic and insecticidal properties. The methanolic extract showed significant antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterococcus faecalis. The petroleum ether fraction also demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The dichloromethane fraction inhibited the growth of E. coli and K. pneumonia. The chloroform fraction showed no significant activity against E. coli, K. pneumonia and Bacillus subtilis. The ethyl acetate fraction indicated significant activity against E. faecalis. Among the tested fungal species, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, and Fusarium solaniwere more susceptible to dichloromethane, chloroform and methanol fractions. Only methanol fraction indicated moderate phytotoxic activity at high dose, while other fractions showed low activity. Crude extract and its fractions exhibited low insecticidal activity.

Key words: Prunus persica, biological activities, antimicrobial, phytotoxic, insecticidal.