Studies on Anti-Bacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Berberis Balochistanica, Ephedra Intermedia and Achillea Santolina Methanolic Extracts

Authors

  • Muhammad Ilyas Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Shafi Muhammad Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Arsalan Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Abdul Jabbar Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Syed Zainullah Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Abid Hussain Centre for Advanced Studies in Vaccinology & Biotechnology (CASVAB), University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Shafiq Ahmad Centre for Advanced Studies in Vaccinology & Biotechnology (CASVAB), University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31580/ypeavt34

Keywords:

Anti-bacterial, Anti-oxidant, A. santolina, Balochistan, B. balochistanica, E. intermedia

Abstract

The Balochistan province is rich in medicinal herbs, yet remains largely unexplored from a scientific perspective. Various plants from this region are traditionally used to treat both human and animal diseases. However, there has been limited scientific evaluation of their efficacy and safety. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of extracts obtained from three plants native to Quetta, Balochistan:Berberis balochistanica, Ephedra intermedia, and Achillea santolina. The antibacterial activity was assessed using agar well diffusion assays against selected bacterial strains, while antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging assays.

Results showed that Berberis balochistanica extract demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity, with zones of inhibition ranging from 13.0 to 19.5 mm against the tested bacterial strains. Achillea santolina extract exhibited moderate antibacterial activity, with zones of inhibition ranging from 12.6 to 16.71 mm, while Ephedra intermedia extract displayed the lowest activity, with zones of inhibition ranging from 7.19 to 12.2 mm. The B. balochistanica extract showed good antibacterial activity against all tested pathogens, with the highest activity observed against Bacillus salitus (19.50 mm). Achillea santolina showed good activity against Staphylococcus aureus (16.71 mm), while Ephedra intermedia exhibited the highest activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.20 mm).

In terms of antioxidant activity, Achillea santolina demonstrated substantial activity with an IC50 value of 0.378 ± 0.67 mg/ml, which was higher than that of Berberis balochistanica (IC50: 0.482 ± 0.10 mg/ml) and Ephedra intermedia (IC50: 0.915 ± 0.12 mg/ml). Notably, these IC50 values were lower than that of ascorbic acid (IC50: 0.271 ± 0.08 mg/ml), indicating potent antioxidant properties.

The observed antibacterial and antioxidant potentials of Achillea santolina, Berberis balochistanica, and Ephedra intermedia suggest that further research is needed to isolate and characterize the active compounds responsible for their pharmacological effects.

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Published

2024-06-30

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Research Article