951
Views
20
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Polyphenolic Contents and Biological Activities of Rumex ecklonianus.

, , &
Pages 333-340 | Accepted 29 Sep 2007, Published online: 07 Oct 2008
 

Abstract

Rumex ecklonianus. Meissner (Polygonaceae) is a wild South African herb whose leaves are edible when young. It is mildly purgative and is used in the treatment of chlorosis and anemia. The polyphenolic content and antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the acetone, methanol, and water extracts were determined in this study. The concentrations of the different classes of phenolic compounds were higher in the acetone and methanol extracts when compared with the water extracts; this also correlates highly with the total phenolic content. Antioxidant activities of acetone and methanol extracts as assessed by three established in vitro. methods, namely, 2,2-azinobis.-(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods were comparable with that of butylated hydroxyl toluene. The extracts showed significant activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The strongest antibacterial activity was found in the acetone extract, whose activity was pronounced on 7 of the 10 bacterial strains used, with a MIC value of 2.0 mg/mL. None of the extracts, however, inhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis. or Salmonella pooni.. The data obtained in this study suggest that R. ecklonianus. may be a good candidate for functional foods as well as pharmaceutical plant-based products. This is the first report on the biological activity of R. ecklonianus..

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.