Evaluation of anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and cytotoxic activities of selected medicinal plants from arid region of Pakistan

Abstract

In current study methanolic extract of aerial parts of Chrozophora tinctoria, Euphorbia milii, Euphorbia royleana, Heliotropium calcareum, Tamarix dioica and Verbena tenuisecta was tested for antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential. Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetric assays, DPPH, phosphomolybdate and reducing power assays were used to estimate total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant potential respectively. Antimicrobial assay was performed by disc diffusion method and cytotoxic potential was evaluated by brine shrimp lethality (BSL) assay. The results revealed that all the selected extracts were found with significant amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents and have good antioxidant potential at maximum applied dose (100µg/mL). All the extracts were found active against Bacillus subtilis strain while, no extract was active against tested fungal strains. In BSL assay, E. milii, H. calcareum and V. tenuisecta exhibited significant cytotoxicity with % lethality value ranges from 25±0.80-91±0.76 at 200 µg/mL concentration. On the basis of these results, we can conclude that these plants may have potential for antioxidant, anti-microbial and antitumor lead compounds. Therefore, it is suggested to explore these plants for in vivo and in vitro discovery of new drugs.