Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea L.) Extracts Obtained by Classical and Ultrasound Extraction

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Echinacea purpurea L. (Asteraceae) extracts obtained by classical and ultrasound solvent extraction were compared. The dry aerial part of plant was extracted by 70% ethanol at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 (m/v) and 25°C. The extract obtained by classical solvent extraction contained 29% larger amounts of phenolic compounds and 20% higher content of flavonoids. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picril hydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging reached 93.6% and the values of EC50 were (34.16±0.65) μg·ml−1 and (65.48±1.12) μg·ml−1 for the extracts obtained by the classical and ultrasound extractions, respectively. The extracts, independent of the extraction technique applied, showed a considerable growth inhibition on Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, while no growth inhibition zones were observed for Aspergillus niger. The diameters of inhibition zone observed for all the microorganisms were larger for extracts obtained by classical extraction than those by ultrasound extraction.