Ionizing Radiation effect on Teucrium polium: Phytochemical Contents antioxidant and antibacterial Activity

Abstract

Medicinal plants providing natural products may be used as precursors for new drugs for their chemical diversity. In the present study, the potential of gamma radiation as sterilizing agent for preservation and its effect on phytochemical contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Teucrium polium (T. polium) was analyzed for antimicrobial activity. The results revealed that exposing plant powder to doses of gamma irradiation (5, 10, 15& 20 kGy) significantly increased the ethyl acetate extraction yield (dry weight) as compared to the non-irradiated plant (control). Teucrium polium phytochemical contents of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC) and tannins content were significantly increased with gamma irradiation. In the same line, the antioxidant activity was significantly increased in response to radiation dose. Teucrium polium showed antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Gamma irradiation significantly increased the antibacterial activity against P. aeroginosa and S. aureus at dose of 20 KGy compared to other doses. The microbial load total count of T. polium was significantly reduced by exposure to gamma radiation (5, 10, 15 & 20 kGy). Exposure to 5.0 kGy significantly reduced the bacterial count by 99% while fungi count was not detected, while exposure to 10 kGy was enough to eliminate bacteria and fungi from plant sample.