In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and GC/MS profiling of the endemic species Verbascum cheiranthifolium var. asperulum

Abstract

Due to their potential therapeutic applications, there has been a growing fascination in the investigation of natural bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. Verbascum cheiranthifolium var. asperulum, an endemic species in Türkiye, has been studied for its potential antimicrobial and antioxidant characteristics. Various solvents were utilized for the extraction of plant material, and the antimicrobial activity was tested against various antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and a yeast using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and agar disc diffusion methods. Additionally, the antioxidant potential was assessed using total phenolic content, the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, and total flavonoid content methods. The extracts have exhibites significant inhibitory effects against several bacterial strains, with the methanol extract showing the most potent antimicrobial activity. The most effective inhibition activity was observed against Staphylococcus aureus at a concentration of 1.56 mg/ml. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed numerous phytochemical compounds, including phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, and glycosides. The study highlights the potential of V. cheiranthifolium var. asperulum as a valuable and natural bioactive compound source with antimicrobial and antioxidant characteristics, making it a promising candidate for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.