Determination of biological and chemical properties of Helleborus orientalis extracts

ABSTRACT In recent years, Helleborus species have been the subject of phytochemical investigations because of their potential to produce important secondary metabolites, but studies with Helleborus orientalis have been limited to a few. Therefore, methanolic extracts of H. orientalis plant naturally growing in the north of Turkey, the total phenolics, total flavonoid and antioxidant content, fourier transform infrared spectrometry, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography analysis and antimicrobial activity was examined. The total antioxidant and oxidant levels of the methanol extracts of leaves were examined and the effects on DNA damage by commet assay test were examined. The activity on germination was determined to determine the herbicidal effect of the root extracts of the plant. The flower and leaf part of H. orientalis plant contains high phenolic and flavonoid substances and has high antioxidant properties. Hellebrigen in the leaves of plants, helleborin and hellebrigen in their roots, hellebrin in their bodies and hellebrin and helleborin in their flowers were determined by liquid chromatography mass spectrum analysis. Leaf extract of H. orientalis has been shown to increase total antioxidant levels while decreasing DNA damage and total oxidant levels. While the root, stem, leaf and flower part of the plant showed antifungal activity in Candida glabrata, the root part of the plant showed antimicrobial activity in Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 51289. It has been observed that aqueous extracts of plant roots inhibit germination.