ABSTRACT:
In this study, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Urtica dioica (UD) and Chenopodium murale (CM) extracts as well as the levels of phenolic compounds (TPC), flavonoids (TFC) and condensed tannins (TTC) were investigated for all parts of these plants. The antioxidant ability was measured in in-vitro mechanism using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and radical scavenging capacity, 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonate) (ABTS) methods. The ability to scavenge radical was done by discoloration assay. Antibacterial tests were done using disc diffusion and micro dilution methods. The results reported here demonstrate that seeds and leaves extracts of UD has potent antioxidant response. Phenolic compounds level were abundant in leaves extract of UD and seeds extract of CM. While TFC levels were abundant in both plants, TTC values were higher in UD seeds extract and CM leaves extract. In addition, UD extract with the highest content of TPC and TFC exhibited a stronger antibacterial activity than CM, with a minimal concentration of inhibition as little as 3 mg/mL against Rhizobium sp and Bacillus subtilis strains, while it was 12 mg/mL and 11 mg/mL for CM for the same strains, respectively. The obtained results for the antibacterial and antioxidant activities were in line with the levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids as well as condensed tannins in the extracts.