Abstract
In this study, the phenolic composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Zizyphus lotus and Ruta chalepensis collected from Mascara-Western Algeria were investigated. The total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents in the methanolic (Me.E) and aqueous (Aq.E) extracts were measured using colorimetric methods. Polyphenolic profiles were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while the antioxidant effect was determined by DPPH* radical scavenging assays. The antimicrobial activity was estimated using agar disc diffusion and microdilution methods. The results showed that total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and tannins were significantly higher (p <0.05) in Z. lotus extracts when compared with R. chalepensis. The major phenolic compound detected in Z. lotus was benzoic acid (1333.59 µg/g DE), while the hydroxybenzoic acid (56.60 µg/g DE), chlorogenic acid (44.60 µg/g DE), epicatechin (38.80 µg/g DE), catechin (26.30 µg/g DE) and gallic acid (13.22 µg/g DE) were the major compounds in R. chalepensis. Both plants were determined to be effective antioxidants regarding their lower IC50 values of 0.146 mg/mL for Z. lotus Me.E and 0.206 mg/mL for R. chalepensis Aq.E. Results demonstrated that Me.E of Z. lotus and R. chalepensis were more active against S. enterica ssp arizonae, while the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration was recorded against H. alvei using Z. lotus aqueous extract (25 mg/mL). An important anti-Candida activity was also determined. These results suggest the most efficiency of both plants, in the treatment of various human infections, regarding their potential on bioactive molecules with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
Highlights
The emergence of drug resistance in various microbial species and the appearance of undesirable side effects for certain antibiotics are of a global health concern
While the API 20E test was used for Gram-negative bacteria, the API STAPH, coagulase and hemolytic activity tests was used for Staphylococcus aureus identification and the API CANDIDA for fungi strains: Candida albicans
Our results suggested that phenolic compounds identified and quantified during this study can award an important value to Z. lotus leaves and the aerial parts of R. chalepensis, collected from El-Mamounia region of Mascara-western Algeria, which may be an alternative source of natural substances, used as antioxidants and antimicrobials
Summary
The emergence of drug resistance in various microbial species (bacteria and fungi) and the appearance of undesirable side effects for certain antibiotics are of a global health concern. The dysbiosis phenomenon resulting from the therapeutic consumption of these chemical drugs promotes the proliferation of other multidrug-resistant pathogenic germs This renders antimicrobial therapy less effective and treatment of infectious diseases becomes more limited, the need for innovative approaches to tackle antimicrobial resistance (Klein, 2018; Lange, 2016). Zizyphus lotus belonging to Rhamnaceae family is an aromatic and medicinal plant abundant in Algeria and popularly famous as “Sedra” and the edible fruit is called “Nbeg”. This plant species has numerous nutritiously, cosmetically, and medicinally interests. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the antioxidant effect and the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic enteric germs of Zizyphus lotus and Ruta chalepensis growing in Mascara, western Algeria. The antioxidant effect has been determined using DPPH* radical scavenging assays and the antimicrobial activity has been investigated using disc diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar and microdilution technique for the determination of the minimum inhibitory, bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations (MIC, MBC and MFC)
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