Phytochemical Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Aqueous Extract of Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange) Leaves On Bacteria Isolated from Wound Infection

@article{1722182,
      author = {Mudassiru, S., Mustapha, G., Abdurrahman, A. B., Usman, A. A., Hussaini, S.},
      title = {Phytochemical Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Aqueous Extract of Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange) Leaves On Bacteria Isolated from Wound Infection},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {2},
      pages = {902-910},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722182.pdf},
      abstract = {Wound infections remain a significant public health challenge due to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the limited effectiveness of some conventional antimicrobial agents. This study investigated the phytochemical constituents and antibacterial activity of the aqueous leaf extract of Citrus aurantium against bacteria isolated from wound infections. Fresh leaves of C. aurantium were collected, authenticated, air-dried, powdered, and extracted using distilled water. Phytochemical screening was carried out using standard qualitative methods, while bacterial isolates obtained from wound swabs were identified through cultural characteristics, Gram staining, and biochemical tests. The antibacterial activity of the extract was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method at concentrations of 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mg/ml, with tetracycline serving as the positive control. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, volatile oils, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, saponin glycosides, and cardiac glycosides, while free anthraquinones were absent. Eleven bacterial genera were isolated, including Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Citrobacter, Serratia, Aeromonas, Propionibacterium, and Micrococcus species. The aqueous extract exhibited varying degrees of antibacterial activity, with Enterococcus spp. showing the highest inhibition (16 mm at 250 mg/ml), while Micrococcus spp. showed no susceptibility. In general, antibacterial activity increased with extract concentration, although tetracycline demonstrated greater activity against most isolates. The findings indicate that Citrus aurantium leaves contain bioactive phytochemicals with appreciable antibacterial properties and may serve as a potential source of natural antimicrobial agents for managing wound infections.},
      keywords = {Phytochemical, Citrus aurantium, Wound, Infection, Bacteria.},
      month = {August},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I2-1722182}
  }