EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF Opuntia ficus-indica, SEEDS AND PEELS EXTRACTS

Abstract

The biologically active compounds isolated from plants are known to be efficient as antibacterial and antioxidants. The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of total phenols and flavonoids drived from the petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica seeds and peels were performed using DPPH and modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) and gram-negative bacteria (Serratia marcescens), respectively. In the present study, it is demonstrated that, both alcohol and ethyl acetate extracts show the best antioxidant and antibacterial activities than the petroleum ether extracts. This is consistent with the results of the chemical analyses of both extracts.