Abstract

This article has been retracted based on request from the authors. The flowers of Pistacia terebinthus are a source of extracts with significant antimicrobial activity, mainly due to their flavonoid content. The present study used Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to identify and optimize the main extraction parameters affecting the total flavonoid content (TFC) and the antimicrobial activity of the extract from P. terebinthus flowers. Results showed that solid-to-liquid ratio (g/mL), extraction time (min), and solvent concentration (%) were the most influential factors, in that order. The predicted optimal conditions were a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:19.5 g/mL, an extraction time of 63 min, a solvent concentration of 60% and an extraction temperature of 32.6°C, yielding a TFC of 953.27 mg QE/100 g DM. Under these conditions, the extracts showed remarkable antimicrobial activity, the inhibition zones were 16.53 mm against Bacillus cereus, 12.49 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, 12.36 mm against Listeria monocytogenes, 11.24 mm against Cladosporium sp., and 19.12 mm against Aspergillus niger. The validation tests confirmed strong agreement between the experimental- and model-predicted results, which attested to the reliability and accuracy of the model in estimating TFC and antimicrobial activity.