The present study deals with the evaluation of the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity of phenolic extracts and essential oils of two medicinal and aromatic plants Zygophyllum album and Myrtus communis by using the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical ,total antioxidant power and agar diffusion methods and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. Moreover, the extracts were investigated for their polyphenolic, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyans content by using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, the aluminium trichlorid method, reaction with vanillin and colometer method based on differentiation of absorbance, respectively. The results showed that the highest antioxidant capacity was exhibited by the aqueous extract of Myrtus communis with IC 50 = 29,080mg/ml. All extracts possessed more or less antibacterial activity against the tested Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria Bacillus subtilis and E.coli were the more susceptible microorganisms to all extracts and essential oils. Pronounced antibacterial activity was observed by the methanolic extract of Zygophylum album (MIC value=25 µg/ml). Morever, the results showed that the phenolic compounds and flavonoids were abundant in Myrtle aqueous extracts.

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Ipomoea reniformis Chaos is claimed in Indian traditional medical practice to be useful in the treatment of epilepsy and neurological disorders. In the present study, pretreatment effect of methanolic extract of Ipomoea reniformis on epilepsy and psychosis was evaluated in rodents using standard procedures. Besides evaluating epileptic and behavioral parameters, neurotransmitters such as Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) in epilepsy and in psychosis dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin contents in the rodent brain were estimated. The extract pretreatment reduced maximal electro shock; Isoniazid (INH) and Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizures and also significantly inhibited the attenuation of brain GABA levels by INH and PTZ in mice. These results suggested that the observed beneficial effect in epilepsy may be by enhancing the GABAergic system. The test drug also inhibited the apomorphine induced climbing and stereotyped behavior and showed significantly reduced levels of brain dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin which may be due to blocking of central dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic pathways or by enhancing the GABAergic system. The results obtained in present study suggest that the title plant possesses antiepileptic and antipsychotic activities in rodents.

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