Bioactivity of Rumex obtusifolius (Polygonaceae)

Rumex obtusifolius L. (Polygonaceae), commonly known as 'broad-leaf dock', is one of the most common Irish wayside weeds, and it also occurs in silage fields, on river banks, in ditches and on waste grounds. The ethnobotanical uses of this species include its use as an antidote to nettle, depurative, astringent, laxative, and tonic, and in the treatment of sores, blisters, burns, cancer and tumors. The bioactivities of n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts of the leaves of R. obtusifolius were assessed using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the newly developed micro-titer-based antimicrobial assay incorporating resazurin as an indicator of cell growth, and the brine shrimp lethality assay. The most potent free radical scavenging activity was displayed by the MeOH extract with a RC50 value of 7.80 x 10-2 mg/mL. Among the fractions obtained from solid-phase extraction (SPE) of the MeOH extract, the 50% aqueous methanolic SPE fraction exhibited the highest levels of free radical scavenging property (RC50 = 1.05 x 10-2 mg/mL). While the n-hexane extract did not show any antibacterial activity at test concentrations, the DCM extract was active only against Escherichia coli. However, the MeOH extract as well as the 50% and 80% SPE fractions of the MeOH extract showed significant antibacterial property against all bacterial strains tested. None of the extracts or fractions exhibited any significant toxicity towards brine shrimps.