Phytochemical analysis and assessment of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of some medicinal plant species from Egyptian flora

Abstract

Plants offer unlimited source of bioactive compounds that have tremendous applications in pharmaceutical industry. To find new sources of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents against pan-drug resistant (PDR) pathogens of skin burn infections, methanolic extracts of nine Egyptian plants were evaluated. Total phenolic content varied from 19.48 to 65.48 mg GAE/g dry weight (dw). Total flavonoid content varied from 2.90 to 11.09 mg QE/g dw, while total alkaloid content varied from 18 to 60 mg/g dw. Suaeda vermiculata, Varthemia candicans and Arthrocnemum glaucum showed the highest content of phenolics, flavonoids and alkaloids, respectively. The results of antioxidant (DPPH assay) activity were varied to a great extent and Varthemia candicans (90.6%) and Suaeda vermiculata (90.5%) showed the highest antioxidant activities. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against four PDR bacterial and fungal strains; namely Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus. Among all examined extracts, Salsola vermiculata and Suaeda vermiculata showed significant antimicrobial activity. The fatty acid composition of Salsola vermiculata and Suaeda vermiculata leaf extracts was detected using GC–MS analysis. Overall, Salsola vermiculata and Suaeda vermiculata could be used as an alternative source for the exploration of new antioxidant and antimicrobial agents that are potentially valued for food and biomedical applications.