Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Some Yemeni Medicinal Plants

Abstract

The current study represents the investigation of 4 selected traditional plants used in Yemen, Pulicaria jaubertii E, Rumex nervosus Vahl, Peganum harmala L, Caralluma wissmannii O. Schwartz. The obtained extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity using scavenging activity of DPPH radical method and for their antimicrobial activity against two Gram-positive bacteria and two Gram-negative bacteria strains using agar diffusion method. In DPPH method, the 4 extracts showed antioxidant activity and the activity was concentration dependent. The Pulicaria jaubertii leaf extract showed more potent against Micrococcus litius moderately inhibited the Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella choleraesuis and the effect was comparable with the standard antibiotics. The results indicate that these plant are potential candidates to be used as antimicrobial and antioxidant. The selected extracts might be developed in order to establish new pharmacological possibilities for their applications.