RESUMO
The present study describes the total phenolic and flavonoid content and in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol and water extracts from Tordylium maximum L. wild growing in Serbia. The total phenolic content in the extracts was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and their amounts ranged between 74.59 to 83.36 mg GA (gallic acid)/g. The concentrations of flavonoids in the extracts varied from 20.48 to 47.71 mg Qu (quercetin)/g. Antioxidant activity was analyzed using DPPH reagent. Antioxidant activity ranged from 4.042 to 7.825 IC50 (mg/ml) and from 2.48 to 2.78 mg VitC (vitamin C)/g when tested with the DPPH and ABTS reagents, respectively, using BHA and VitC as controls. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated using a micro-well dilution assay against the most common human gastrointestinal pathogenic bacterial strains: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076, Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC15313, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. This finding suggests that T. maximum may be considered as a natural source of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.