Effect of madimak herb (Polygonum sivasicum) on antioxidant, antibacterial, and cell viability

The Polygonaceae family is represented by an average of 48 genera and 1200 species. It is used as food and also therapeutic in the treatment od various diseases such as diuretic, anti-helminthic etc by locals. In this study, the antibacterial, antioxidant and cell viability effects of methanol and hexane extracts of Polygonum sivasicum, a member of this family, were investigated. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using disk diffusion method on Candida albicans (C. albicans- ATCC 10231), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. auruginosa- ATCC 27853), Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes- ATCC 12344), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus- ATCC 25923), and Escherichia coli (E. coli- ATCC 25922). Consequently, strong/moderate antimicrobial effects of methanol and hexane extracts, especially at concentrations of 1000 and 2000 µg/disk, were observed on P. aeruginosa, S. pyogenes, S. aureus and C. albicans cultures. However, it was determined that both extracts used had no significant antimicrobial activity on E. Coli. DPPH and ABTS scavenging tests were used to determine the antioxidant activities of methanol and hexane extracts of P. Sivasicum. Consquently, although antioxidant activity of the methanol extract was observed in both tests, such activity of the hexane extract could not be determined. The effect of P. sivasicum on cell viability was investigated using MTT assay on Caco-2 and HT-29 colon cancer cells. Consequently, it was determined that both extracts had a cytotoxic effect at a concentration of 1000 µg / mL (the highest concentration used) and had no effect at lower doses. Keywords: Polygonum sivasicum, Antimicrobial Effect, Antioxidant Effect, Cell viability