Potential of wild plant Urospermum picroides as sustainable source of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds

Abstract

The Asteraceae family, which includes the Urospermum plant, has a long history of usage in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments. Urospermum picroides is utilized for the treatment of a variety of disorders due to its therapeutic characteristics. The purpose of this study was to assess the antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities of crude extracts of U. picroides using preliminary phytochemical screening. The upper sections of U. picroides were obtained from the Egyptian coastline of the Deltaic Mediterranean coast. The extract was evaluated for its phenolic, flavonoid, alkaloid, saponin, and tannin content. The DPPH test was used to assess the antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of the extract varied between 7.98% at 50 mg/mL and 68.59% at 800 mg/mL, with IC50 value of 48.61 mg/ml. Both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were examined for antibacterial activity. Antimicrobial action was shown by the extract against the majority of the tested bacterial strains, especially Escherichia coli. Finally, Urospermum picroides extract includes bioactive chemicals and shows promise as a natural antibacterial and antioxidant, according to the research.