Phytochemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Hydroalcoholic Extracts ofPterospartum tridentatumandMentha pulegiumagainstStaphylococcus aureusIsolates

Abstract

Pterospartum tridentatumandMentha pulegiumare largely used in Portuguese folk medicine to treat several human disorders and inflammatory processes but without any consistent evidence for those beneficial pointed properties. Thus, the aim of the current work is to evaluate its benefits and phytochemicals related to those beneficial properties. A distinct polyphenol profile betweenP. tridentatumandM. pulegiumwas found. Taxifolin, myricetin, ginestin, ginestein, and ginestein derivatives, biochanin A-glucoside, and biochanin A were identified inP. tridentatum, whilst inM. pulegiumthe luteolin-7-rutinoside, diosmin, and apigenin and respective derivatives were most representative polyphenols. These variations had implications in the antiradical and antibacterial activity and theP. tridentatumexhibited the highest antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitiveStaphylococcus aureusMSSA, which was mainly dose-dependent. This antibacterial activity seems to be related to high content of flavonols, flavones, and isoflavones, which can act synergistically with each other against this type of bacteria. Our results showed consistent evidence thatPterospartum tridentatumandMentha pulegiumare an important reservoir of phytochemicals with antiradical activity and antibacterial capacity and thus they might be used in a preventive way or in a combined pharmaceutical and antibiotic therapy against pathogenic bacteria.