Evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of medlar (<i>Mespilus germanica</i> L.) leaves

Abstract

The present study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) leaves. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical assay and the antibacterial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration. The methanolic extract showed high antioxidant activity (69.43%) and had antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Higher inhibition zone was detected against S. aureus (30.83 mm). The extract of this plant showed high phenolic, flavonoids and carotenoids contents and it can be concluded that these compounds may be responsible for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The results indicated that the methanolic extract of medlar, M. germanica L., leaves possessed strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties and could be an important source of natural compounds for development of new drugs.