Antioxidative, tyrosinase inhibiting and antibacterial activities of leaf extracts from medicinal ferns.
Leaf extracts of five medicinal ferns, Acrostichum aureum L. (Pteridaceae), Asplenium nidus L. (Aspleniaceae), Blechnum orientale L. (Blechnaceae), Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm. (Cyatheaceae) and Dicranopteris linearis (Burm.) underwood var. linearis (Gleicheniaceae), were investigated for their total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidative, tyrosinase inhibiting and antibacterial activities. The antioxidative activity was measured by assays for radical scavenging against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric ion reducing power (FRP), beta-carotene bleaching (BCB) and ferrous ion chelating (FIC). The results revealed B. orientale to possess the highest amount of total polyphenols and strongest potential as a natural antioxidative, tyrosinase inhibiting and antibacterial agent as demonstrated by its strong activities in all related bioassays. The other ferns with antioxidative potential were C. barometz and D. linearis. Except for A. aureum, all ferns showed antibacterial activity which may justify their usage in traditional medicines.
Lai
How Yee
HY
School of Science, Monash University Sunway Campus, Selangor, Malaysia.
Lim
Yau Yan
YY
Tan
Shiau Pin
SP
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029624:Ferns / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase