ABSTRACT
Background: Curcuma longa Linn. (Zingiberaceae family) plant or turmeric is known to possess pharmacological properties at relatively nontoxic doses. The study was carried out with the aim to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of C. longa L.Methods: Ethanolic rhizome extract was applied against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi using disc and well diffusion methods. Antioxidant of C. longa L. was determined by measuring 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity.Results: The ethanolic extract of rhizomes showed inhibitory activity against Gram-positive S. aureus bacteria, whereas the Gram-negative S. typhi bacteria were resistant toward the ethanol extract. Zone of inhibitions against S. aureus were 7 mm and 11 mm by disc and well method, respectively. For antioxidant activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity of ethanolic extract of C. longa L. was set against butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). It was shown that the value of half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of rhizome extract was higher than standard control. The dose response curve was utilized to determine the half maximal IC50 value for each sample. The IC50 of rhizome extract is 21.25 礸/ml, while the value IC50 for BHT is 12.42 礸/ml.Conclusions: The finding suggested turmeric rhizome-extract as a good candidate in the search for a natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agent.