The study deals with the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of extracts from the aerial part of Algerian Ajuga iva. Extraction of flavonoids was carried out by 85% of methanol, then the crude extract was successively separated with ethyl acetate, butanol, and water. The in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, reducing power, and thiobarbituric acid reacting substances assays. Extracts are subject to HPLC-UV analysis. The average total phenol contents of extracts vary between 3.87 ± 0.17 and 149.74 ± 3.94 (gallic acid equivalent per gram of dry extract). Furthermore, tested extracts exhibited a broad range of flavonoid contents varying from 1.54 ± 0.09 to 41.18 ± 1.03 (catechin equivalent per gram of dry extract). Butanol and ethyl acetate fractions displayed the highest antioxidant activity. A good correlation between the phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant activity was observed. Rutin, caffeic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, luteolin, and cinnamic acid were present in the extracts. The plant could be a potential source of antioxidant agents.

The present study evaluates the antioxidant and antibacterial activities as well as the chemical composition of the aerial part of Adiantum capillus-veneris L., which are endemic to the flora of Algeria. The total phenolic amount of the hydromethanolic extract, as measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent procedure, was found to be about 23.44 ± 0.14 mg GAE/g DW, while the flavonoid content value was 4.66 ± 0.01 mg CE/g DW, as measured by aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The antioxidant power of the extract was analyzed using the DPPH method. DPPH radicals were scavenged with an IC50 value of 65.85 µg/mL. The antibacterial activity of hydromethanolic extract against five bacterial strains of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 25853), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Streptococcus pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10876) were carried out using the disc diffusion test and the microdilution method. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most sensitive bacterium with inhibition zone of 9.0 ± 1.1 cm and MIC=10 mg/mL. Based on HPLC analysis, we find that quercetin 3-O-glucoside was the most abundant compound in the plant extract. This study demonstrates that Adiantum capillus-veneris could be a potential natural source of antibacterial and antioxidant compounds.