A comparative investigation of the anti-bacterial and cytotoxic activity of heracleum humile plant extracts obtained from different methods and solvents

Drug studies from natural sources such as plants have speed up. In this sense, plants are thought as a source of pharmaceutical raw materials. In studies where the effectiveness of plants is evaluated with various analyzes, this situation is investigated. In this thesis, the effects of ethyl acetate, methanol and water extracts obtained from the aerial parts of the Heracleum humile plant by maceration, infusion and ultrasonication methods were evaluated with biological activity tests. Within the scope of biological activity tests, DNA protection analysis, antibacterial testing and cytotoxic activity analysis in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 were studied. As a result of DNA protection analysis, weak DNA protection activity was observed in concentrations of 5 and 10 mg/mL of water extract obtained by infusion method with ethyl acetate and methanol extracts obtained by maceration method. DNA protection activity was not observed in ethyl acetate, methanol and water extracts by ultrasonication method. Antimicrobial activity was performed by microdilution method on 4 Gram (+) and 6 Gram (-) bacteria. Accordingly, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined. The most effective result was observed on Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Serratia marrescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076 Gram (-) strains in ethyl acetate extract by maceration method. Other extracts showed their effects at same concentration with negative control or in a higher concentration than negative control. Cytotoxic activity analysis was performed by MTT test. The most effective results were determined on the MDA-MB-231 cell line at 48th hour by ultrasonication ethyl acetate extract (IC50:97.94 µg/mL), followed by the MCF-7 cell line at the 24th hour by ultrasonication ethyl acetate extract (IC50:103.9 µg/mL) and finally on the MDA-MB-231 cell line at 48th hour by maceration ethyl acetate extract (IC50:116.7 µg/mL). Findings may shed light on cancer researches because of extracts that exhibit cytotoxic activity in low doses. The effects of these extracts can be investigated on the living systems by in vivo analysis.