PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON A MEDITERANEAN ENVASIVE WEED AS NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC

In the framework of enhancing medicinal plants of the Mediterranean flora, the present work investigates phytochemical screening of different parts’ extracts of a wild medicinal plant from Asteraces family: roots, leaves, flowers and aerial parts. It also highlights the quantification of the main secondary metabolites; total polyphenols and flavonoids and its correlation with in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobiol activities. Biological tests have shown encouraging results for the antioxidant activities namely: reducing power, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging, and exhibit flowers extract as promising source of phenols and potent antioxidants with the ability of breaking hydroxyl free radical chain generating, the main responsible of oxidative stress, on the other hand antibacterial and antifungal activities tested by discs diffusion method on agar medium, were carried out; and the effectiveness of tested extracts has been demonstrated against five pathogen bacterial and fungal referential strains. Obtained results exhibit aerial part as better phenols sources, whereas roots extract showed better in vitro antimicrobial activity. Obtained results showed nice correlation and open large perspectives on bioactive compounds assessment, SAR studies and clinical trials.