Abstract
The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and contents of total phenolics and flavonoids of Ajuga chamaepitys (L.) Schreb. subsp. chamaepitys (Lamiaceae) were investigated. Five different extracts from aboveground flowering plant parts were obtained by extraction with water, methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether. The total phenolic content was determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and expressed as the gallic acid equivalent (mg GA/g of extract). The highest value was obtained in the ethyl acetate extract (57.02 mg GA/g). The concentration of flavonoids, determined using a spectrophotometric method with aluminum chloride and expressed as the rutin equivalent (mg RU/g of extract), was highest in the ethyl acetate extract (91.76 mg RU/g). The antioxidant activity was determined in vitro using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) reagent. The highest antioxidant activity was detected in the acetone extract (SC50 value = 330.52 ?g/mL). In vitro antimicrobial activities were determined using a microdilution method, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) were determined. The most effective antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus was demonstrated by the acetone extract, with MIC and MMC values of 1.25 mg/mL. Based on the results of this study, A. chamaepitys subsp. chamaepitys could be considered as a valuable source of natural compounds with important biological activities.
Highlights
The harmful effects and problems caused by oxidative stress and an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be ameliorated by antioxidants
Extracts of A. chamaepitys subsp. chamaepitys were characterized by the content of total phenolic compounds in the range from 25.49 to 57.02 mg GA/g, with the highest content determined in the ethyl acetate extract (57.02 mg GA/g)
Phenolic compounds are ubiquitous in plants, possessing many biological activities due to their capability to act as free-radical scavengers (Holderbaum et al, 2014)
Summary
The harmful effects and problems caused by oxidative stress and an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be ameliorated by antioxidants. For this purpose, synthetic antioxidants are commonly used. Plants produce a great variety of organic compounds with a very restricted and specific distribution, usually found in a single plant species or a taxonomically related group (Mazid et al, 2011). For some of these plant secondary metabolites and their sources, humans have found applications as food ingredients, pharmaceuticals or medicinal products. The ethnopharmacology of the Ajuga species is well documented by Israili and Lyoussi (2009)
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