Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
Introduction: Herbal drugs are an important source of antimicrobials and antioxidants. Purpose: This work was designed to carry out the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the solvent extracts of the leaves and stem of Sesuvium portulacastrum grown in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The leaves and stem of the plant were extracted with methanol and chloroform. The antimicrobial property of the methanolic and chloroform extracts was evaluated by the cup plate method, whereas the DPPH method was used for the evaluation of the antioxidant activity. Results: The methanolic extract of the leaves was a more effective antimicrobial product than the chloroform extract against all the tested bacterial strains, namely, E. coli, S. aureus, P. vulgaris, and K. pneumoniae. The methanolic extract of the leaves also showed better antioxidant activity than the methanolic extract of the stem. Its associated antioxidant effect increases the antimicrobial activity of methanolic extract of the leaves. Conclusion: The leaves of Sesuvium portulacastrum have been identified as a useful source to procure natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in human health. Therefore, detailed chemical and molecular level investigations are recommended on the leaves of Sesuvium portulacastrum grown in Saudi Arabia.
