Background: Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less is used in folk medicine as a remedy for various diseases.
Objectives: The present study reports antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of solvent fractions of
Vernonia cinerea.
Methods: The antioxidant properties of solvent fractions of
V. cinerea were evaluated by determining radicals scavenging activity,
total flavonoid and phenolic contents measured with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) test, the aluminum chloride
and the Folin-ciocalteau methods, respectively. Antimicrobial activities were tested against human pathogenic microorganisms
using agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of
each active extract were determined.
Results: The ethyl acetate fraction having the IC
50 value of 6.50 μg/mL demonstrated comparable DPPH radical-scavenging
activity with standard antioxidants, gallic acid and quercetin included in the study. All fractions displayed moderate antimicrobial
potential against the tested pathogens with the zone of inhibition that ranged from 9.0 to 13.5 mm. The MIC (1.56 mg/mL) and
MBC (3.13 mg/mL) indicated highest susceptibility of
Candida albicans
in all fractions.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the solvent fractions of
V. cinerea possess antioxidant and antimicrobial activities,
hence justifying the folkloric use of the plant for the treatment of various ailments in traditional medicine.
