Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of medicinal plants used by the Bentian tribe from Indonesia

Some selected medicinal plants used by Bentian tribe from Indonesia were evaluated for potential antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The leaves stem bark and root of the plants were extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol to give respective extracts. Antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes and Candida albicans was determined by an agar well diffusion method. Antioxidant activity was assayed by the DPPH radical scavenging activity mechanism. The results showed that n-hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Cananga odorata, ethanolic extract of Chromolaena odorata, and ethanolic extracts of Hyptis capitata and Ampelocissus cinnamomeae displayed good activity against P. acnes at 25–400 μg/well of the extracts tested. The n-hexane and ethanol extracts of Chromolaena odorata and H. capitata, and the n-hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Cananga odorata displayed more activity against C. albicans than others at 25–400 μg/well of the extracts tested. The most antioxidant activities against DPPH were displayed by the ethanol extracts of Ficus variegata stem bark, Leucosyke quadrinerva root and Clausena excavata leaves exhibiting 91%, 91% and 86% inhibition, respectively. The present results showed potential of some medicinal plants used by Bentian tribe from Indonesia as natural anti-microbial and anti-oxidant and potentially anti-inflammatory agents.