Evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant properties of some traditional medicinal plants from India

Background: Medicinal plants have been used to prevent and treat various health problems. Aim: The present study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of aqueous and solvent extracts of some selected medicinal plants. Materials and Methods: The disc diffusion method was employed for the determination of antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant activity was evaluated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide reducing and β- carotene/linoleic acid bleaching inhibition assays. Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method was employed for the determination of total phenolic contents. Results: Aqueous and solvent extracts of Acacia catechu, A. ferruginea, Adenanthera pavonina, Albizia odoratissima, Anogeissus latifolia, Breynia vitis-idaea, Salacia oblonga, Senna spectabilis and Solanum indicum showed significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis, and promising antioxidant properties. The antioxidant activities were positively correlated with total phenolic contents. Discussion and Conclusion: The promising antibacterial and antioxidant activities of these plants validated their traditional use in various herbal preparations to treat various ailments associated with pathogenic microbes and oxidative stress. Further investigations such as isolation of active principles and toxicological studies to ascertain the safety, and in vivo experimentations on suitable models are required to explore the therapeutic usage of these plants on humans.