Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of alcoholic extracts of Rumex dentatus L.

In-vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of various concentrations ranging from 150 to 500 μg/ml of alcoholic (methanol and ethanol) extracts of Rumex dentatus were analyzed on different clinical bacterial strains (Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus) and fungal strains (Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus flavus, Acremonium spp., Penicillium dimorphosporum, Candida albicans, Candida kruesie, Candida parapsilosis) using agar disk diffusion method and broth dilution method (MIC and MBC determination) for antimicrobial activity and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay, Riboflavin photo-oxidation assay, deoxyribose assay, lipid peroxidation assay for antioxidant activity. The extracts showed maximum inhibitory effect against K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa with no activity against S. typhimurium from among the bacterial strains while as in case of the fungal strains the maximum effect was observed against C. albicans by both the extracts. MIC and MBC values determined for active fractions of the extracts against some bacterial strains (S. flexneri, K. pneumonia and E. coli) revealed that the test organisms were inhibited by all the extracts with methanol showing lower values of both MIC and MBC indicating it as a better antimicrobial agent. The antioxidant activity showed that the extracts exhibited scavenging effect in concentration-dependent manner on superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals leading to the conclusion that the plant has got a broad spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and could be a potential alternative for treating various diseases.