JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE (LONICERA JAPONICA L.): A VALUABLE SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL METABOLITES

Abstract

The use of natural products for healing purposes has gained great attention worldwide. Increased interest in certain plant products has been achieved mainly due to their ability to limit antibiotic resistance. Also, as the hypothesis that all biological processes at the cellular level are severely affected by the formation of free radicals has been confirmed, it is attempted to highlight some active principles in plants and their use as agents to counteract the oxidative process [1, 2]. This paper aims to demonstrate the antioxidant and antibacterial capacity of the alcoholic extracts from the flowers and leaves of Lonicera japonica, a widespread ornamental plant, as well as to carry out volatile compounds profiling from the essential oil of L. japonica. For the quantification of the antioxidant properties, the following assays were carried out: total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), total polyphenolic content and total flavonoid content. The antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of the extracts and essential oil were evaluated on multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains. For the identification of the biologically active volatile compounds, GC-MS chromatographic analysis was carried out, with the NIST database as the identification source. The obtained results support the antioxidant, antibacterial, and antibiofilm potential of Lonicera japonica [3]. Regarding the flowering stage of the plant, the silver flower extract demonstrated a significant antimicrobial effect, mainly against E. coli. Thus, during the evaluation of the antioxidant potential of the extracts, considerable values were obtained for all tested parameters, supporting the antioxidant potential of this plant.