Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of some plants used as remedies in Turkish traditional medicine

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.