The growing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has highlighted the pressing need for alternative antimicrobial solutions.this study explores the antibacterial properties of essential oil obtained from date palm seeds, focusing on its potential as a natural alternative to conventional antimicrobial agents (Phoenix dactylifera L.), a plant renowned for its medicinal and nutritional properties. The essential oil was obtained through solvent extraction and tested against a variety of bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram- negative), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Using the agar ditch and well diffusion methods, the oil demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones ranging in size from 2.3 mm to 22 mm, depending on the concentration. Notably, the oil demonstrated significant effectiveness against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, which showed inhibition zones of 17.3 mm at 25% concentration and 22 mm at 100% concentration. In contrast, Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed resistance to all tested concentrations of theessential oil. TheFolin-Ciocalteu method was used to measure the total phenolic content (TPC) of the oil,revealing a concentration-dependent increase in phenolic compounds, which are likely responsible for its antimicrobial properties. Comparative analysis with conventional antibiotics, including imipenem, ampicillin, erythromycin, vancomycin, and ceftriaxone, demonstrated that the essential oil outperformed several of these antibiotics, especially against gram-positive bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the oil varied from 2.5% forStaphylococcus hemolyticus to 50% for Klebsiella pneumoniae. These findings suggest that essential oil from date palm seeds possesses significant antibacterial properties, which makes it a promising option for further development as a natural alternative to traditional antibiotics, especially in the context of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Future research should concentrate on pinpointing the specific bioactive compounds that account for its antimicrobial activity and evaluating its potential for clinical applications.
