Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Some Plants Used as Remedies in Turkish Traditional Medicine

Abstract

The antimicrobial activities of chloroform, acetone, ethanol, and water extracts of 25 plants, mostly used as remedies against various diseases in Turkish traditional medicine, were tested against 10 pathogenic bacteria and one fungus (Candida albicans) using the disk diffusion method. Among the tested plant species, Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam (Labiatae), Thymus fallax Fisch et Mey. (Labiatae), and three Hypericum species [H. heterophyllum Vent., H. hyssopifolium Chaix. subsp. elongatum (Ledeb.) Woron var. elongatum, and H. scabrum L.] (Guttiferae) showed antimicrobial activity at a broader spectrum. In particular, chloroform, acetone, and ethanol extracts of Z. clinopodioides inhibited the growth of all microbial species. Minimal inhibition concentration values of Z. clinopodioides extracts were also found to be low. The antioxidant activity of the acetone, ethanol, and water extracts of 20 plants was also evaluated by lipid peroxidation inhibition and DPPH free radical scavenging methods. It was found that water, ethanol, and acetone extracts of Z. clinopodioides, T. fallax, three Hypericum species, Artemisia santonicum L. (Compositae), and Echinophora tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiena (Umbelliferae) have strong antioxidant activities among the tested plant species. In general, there is a correlation between the antioxidant potential and total phenolic contents of the extracts. In light of the current study, it can be concluded that Z. clinopodioides and T. fallax may have potential use in the food industry as antioxidants and antimicrobial herbs, as well as pharmaceutical interest.

Endemik Tanacetum argenteum subsp. argenteum bitkisinin toprak üstü kısımlarından elde edilen ekstrelerin biyolojik aktiviteleri

“…The current study showed that TAC had moderate activity against Staphylococcus strains. This finding is similar to study conducted by Unal et al (2008) who showed that T. aucheranum aerial parts chloroform extract have antibacterial activity against S. aureus. However, it has been found that T. aucheranum aerial parts chloroform extract (125 µg/mL) had higher MIC value than T. argenteum subsp.…”

“…However, it has been found that T. aucheranum aerial parts chloroform extract (125 µg/mL) had higher MIC value than T. argenteum subsp. argenteum aerial parts chloroform extract, reported in the present study, against S. aureus (19). Also, it is known that some flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones have antimicrobial activity (20,21).…”

Antibacterial Effects of Methanol Extracts of Some Plant Species Belonging to Lamiaceae Family

“…Therefore, biologically active extracts and compounds from plants have commonly been studied to discover new sources [2][3][4][5][6]. Medicinal plants and herbs have been used for many years in treatments of various animal and human diseases.…”

A Comparative Study on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Four Senecio Species From Turkey

“…They are produced in cells by different means (Zho et al, 2006). Exogenous sources of free radicals include tobacco smoke, ionizing radiation, certain pollutants, organic solvents, and pesticides (Unal et al, 2008). ROS may cause damage on carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and DNA (Zho et al, 2006).…”