Preliminary phytochemical analysis and antioxidant, antibacterial activities of Crocus alatavicus from Kazakhstan

Abstract

Phytochemical analysis of C. alatavicus revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, amino acids and carbohydrates. The flavonoid, amino acids and carotenoid contents were higher in aerial part (1.50%, 7.49% and 9.78 mg%, respectively) than in bulb (0.43%, 3.88% and 0.91 mg%, respectively). Total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant (TAA), 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and antibacterial activities of water, methanol, ethanol and dichloromethane extracts from aerial part and bulb were tested. TPC ranged from 13.63 to 72.29 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g extract. The maximum TAA were observed in ethanol (61.34%) and methanol extracts (46.13%) from aerial part with a high TPC (72.29 and 62.37 mgGAE/g extract, respectively). Ethanol extracts from aerial part and bulb had good scavenger of DPPH radicals (65.5% and 54.08%, respectively) with an IC50 387 and 447 µg/ml. Ethanol extract from aerial part was most effective against gram-positive bacterial strains S. aureus, B. subtilis and B. cereus. Biological activities of the extracts were correlated with the TPC. It can be deduced that ethanol and methnol extracts of C. alatavicus contains useful potent bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.