Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of Extracts of Yucca Baccata, a Plant of Northwestern Mexico, against Pathogenic Bacteria

Abstract

Introduction. Bacterial agents and oxidative reactions are involved in health and food preservation issues, and Yucca baccata (Y. baccata) can be a source of compounds with practical applications in both areas, but its investigation remains limited. Materials and Methods. Butanolic (YBE) and aqueous (YAE) extracts were obtained from the stem of Y. baccata. The total saponin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents were analyzed in the YBE and YAE. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined by the DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, and ORAC assays. Seven Gram-positive and five Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria strains were used to determine the MIC and MBC. Results. Saponin contents were 30% and 1.81% (w/w) in the YBE and YAE, respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extracts were 29.5 μg GAEmg-1 (2.95%) and 5.58 μg GAEmg-1 (0.56%) in the YBE and 69.92 μg QEmg-1 (7.0%) and 1.65 μg QEmg-1 (0.165%) in the YAE. The antioxidant capacity values of YBE were 29.18 μg TEmg-1, 121.8 μg TEmg-1, 33.41 μg TEmg-1, and 156.84 μg TEmg-1 by the DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, and ORAC assays, respectively. YAE had lower antioxidant values than YBE ( P < 0.05 ). Values of 80 mgmL-1 and 100 mgmL-1 were estimated for MIC and MBC of YBE against the Gram-positive bacteria. Values of 100 mgmL-1 and 120 mgmL-1 for MIC and MBC of YBE were estimated against the Gram-negative bacteria. No MIC and MBC were obtained for YAE. Conclusion. YBE exhibited higher antioxidant activity than YAE. Apparently, antibacterial properties of the YBE tended to be higher than those of the YAE.

Herbal medicine and gut microbiota: exploring untapped therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative disease management

“…Furthermore, herbal medicine components can also selectively target pathogens without disrupting the overall gut microbial balance. Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and phenolic acids found in various herbal medicine formulations display antibacterial activity against specific pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Helicobacter pylori (Song et al 2021 ; Bouchelaghem 2022 ; Morales-Figueroa et al 2022 ). Furthermore, berberine, a bioactive alkaloid found in herbs, such as Coptis chinensis (Huang Lian), inhibits pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium , while enhancing the abundance of health-promoting bacteria, such as Akkermansia muciniphila (Kong et al 2012 ; Dong et al 2021 ).…”

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phytochemicals Found in the Yucca Genus

“…Yucca baccata Torr. butanolic extract showed a 29.18 (μg TE/mg) in DPPH assay, 121.8 (μg TE/mg) in TEAC assay, 33.41 (μg TE/mg) in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and 156.84 in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay [ 70 ]. These reports are consistent with the radical scavenging activity observed in phytochemicals observed in Section 5 ( Figure 1 B).…”

Antimicrobial activity of saponin-containing plants: review

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