Anti-oxidative and antimicrobial activities of Hieracium pilosella L. extracts

Abstract

The anti-oxidative and antimicrobial activities of different extracts from Hieracium pilosella L. (Asteraceae) whole plant were investigated. The total dry extracts were determined for all the investigated solvents: methanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and dichloromethane:methanol (9:1). It was found that the highest yield was obtained by extraction with methanol (12.9 g/100 g of dry plant material). Qualitative and quantitative analysis were performed by the HPLC method, using external standards. Chlorogenic acid, apigenin-7-O-glucoside and umbelliferone were detected in the highest quantity in the extracts. The qualitative and quantitative composition of the extracts depends on the solvent used. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect of the extracts was determined spectrophotometrically. The highest radical scavenging effect was observed in the methanolic extract, both with and without incubation, EC50 = 0.012 and EC50 = 0.015 mg ml-1, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts towards the bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella enteritidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and the fungi (Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans) were determined by the disc diffusion method. The minimal inhibitory concentrations were determined for all the investigated extracts against all the mentioned microorganisms.