Antioxidant, Anticholinesterase and Antibacterial Activities of Jurinea consanguinea DC

The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro antioxidant, anticholinesterase and antibacterial activities of the petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Jurinea consanguinea DC. (Asteraceae). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of these crude extracts were determined as pyrocatechol and quercetin equivalents, respectively. The methanol extract which possessed almost the same effect with the chloroform extract in β-carotene-linoleic acid system exhibited higher free radical scavenging activity than a standard compound, BHT, at 100 and 200 μg/mL concentrations. The petroleum ether extract showed the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity among the tested extracts. The methanol extract exhibited higher butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity than galantamine at all concentrations (94% inhibition at 200 μg/mL). The antibacterial activity of the extracts was determined by the disc diffusion method. The chloroform extract showed moderate activity against B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.