Assessment of phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of <em>ziziphus lotus</em> leaves extracts

Abstract

Herbal medicines are used to treat a variety of chronic and acute diseases with little to no harmful side effects. They have played a significant part in health systems throughout the world. The phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity of different extracts of Ziziphus lotus leaves (ZLL) were the subject of this study. According to the analysis of the extraction yield, the aqueous extract had the highest yield, followed by methanol, ethanol, and last, hexane (p<0.05). Phytochemical analysis of ZLL extracts revealed the presence of several bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds and alkaloids. Water, methanol 50%, methanol 80%, methanol, ethanol, and hexane are the 6 different solvents which were used in order to evaluate the phytochemical profile as well as the biological activities of ZLL, and whose aqueous extract showed the best results. The aqueous extract showed the highest total contents of phenols, flavonoids, and tannins (120,53± 0. 37 mg GAE/g DM, 60.15 ± 0.06 mg QE/g DM, and 09.41 ± 0.36 mg CE/g DM, respectively), while the hexane extract revealed the lowest contents (20.42 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g DM, 14.45± 0.36 mg QE/g DM, and 04.20 ± 0.17 mg CE/g DM, respectively). By using the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods, ZLL extracts demonstrated considerable antioxidant capacities, with the values IC50=31.20 ±0.69, IC50=61.35±0.30 and IC0.5=23.89±0.80, respectively, and this for the aqueous extract. All of the ZLL extracts, showed antibacterial efficacy against the bacterial strains of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.