Effect of Solvent on the Extraction of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Components from Eryngium foetidum L

Eryngium foetidum L. is an important medicinal herb in traditional healthcare practices and has been reported for various biological activities. The objective of the presentstudy was to analyze the effect of solvent used for extraction on the amount of extractable matter, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content of Eryngium foetidum L. The extractable matter was determined by standard quality control methods and the in vitro antimicrobial activity assay was carried out by agar well diffusion method. In vitro antioxidant activity was quantified by DPPH radical scavenging assay and total phenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method. The experiments were performed in triplicate and data was analyzed statistically. The extractive value, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content showed significant difference among the extracts prepared in solvents with different polarities. The aqueous extract was found to exhibit the highest extractive value (330.33 ± 1.53 mg/g ADPM), antimicrobial activity (PI= 0.88), antioxidant activity (IC50=196.36 ± 0.01 μg/mL) and total phenolic content (3.11 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g extract). The variations were correlated positively with the polarity of the solvent used for extraction. The study also showed that E. foetidum is a potential source of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds and has the potential use for health benefits.