Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antiqourum Sensing Properties of Selected Wild Tea Leaves of Mountain Province

Abstract

This study investigated the potential biological activities by determining the antioxidant (DPPH Assay), antibacterial (Agar-well Diffusion Method), and antiquorum sensing (Crystal Violet based Microtitre Plate Biofilm Assay) of the selected wild tea leaves of Mt. Province, namely: Cinnamomum mercadoi S. Vidal, Gaultheria leucocarpa var. cumingiana (S.Vidal), Clausena sanki (Perr.) J.F. Molino var. mollis (Merr.) J.F Molino, Descasporum fruticosum (J.R. Forst and G. Forst) and Glycomis pentaphylla. It was shown that all of he wild tea leaves have antioxidant properties. G. leucocarpa var. cumingiana (S.Vidal) however, exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity of 88.67%, which indicates that it is the best antioxidant among the wild tea samples. Results also proved that the selected wild tea plants have antibacterial property against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and B. subtilis. Moreover, the result of the Microtitre Plate Biofilm Assay showed that all selected wild tea had moderate antiquorum sensing activity against the bacterial species tested. It was concluded that the ethanolic leaves’ extracts of the selected wild tea samples had antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiquorum sensing property. Therefore, this study hopes to promote the consumption of wild tea on a commercial scale due to its additional health benefits. It may be worthy to consider natural products and alternative medicines as potential prevention and treatments for diseases.