Investigation of antimicrobial and antioxidant effects and phenolic content of ecballium elaterium extract from Mardin/Derik

Nowadays, antibiotics, which are used unconsciously in the treatment of many diseases, have often caused bacteria to gain resistance. As a result, the treatment of such diseases is becoming impossible. Therefore, scientists have shown that medicinal plants are a rich source of antimicrobial agents in disease treatment. Many plants have started to be used in alternative medicine because they have antimicrobial properties with the secondary metabolites they contain. In recent years, the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries have focused on medicinal and aromatic plants as natural resources. Phytochemicals show many biological activities such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant and anticancer. In this study, Ecballium elaterium plant extract from Mardin/Derik was tested against gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella parathypi, Salmonella Poona and Campliobacter jejuni), gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) pathogenic microorganisms and lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus plantarum), minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and antioxidant capacity levels were determined. 1:1 v/v mixture of methanol and chloroform was applied 1/5 to the ground plant sample and then stored in a desiccator for three days. After evaporation at 35 °C, 10 ppm distilled water was used to prepare the extract. The prepared samples were used in 1/5 agar well diffusion test, MIC test, DPPH method, FRAP method and determination of iron ion chelating activity. According to the results obtained, Ecballium elaterium extract showed the highest antimicrobial effect on Salmonella parathypi A in agar well test (23 mm zone diameter). The second most effective bacterium was MRSA (12 mm zone diameter). It also showed antimicrobial effect on E. coli k-2 (11 mm zone diameter), E. coli RSSK (10 mm zone diameter), Staph aureus and Salmonella poona (9 mm zone diameter), Bacillus sublitus (6 mm zone diameter) and Lactobacillus plantarum (4 mm zone diameter). However, it did not show antimicrobial effect against Campliobacter jejuni and Lactobacillus reuteri bacteria. In addition, antioxidant capacity tests showed that the extract showed a very strong antioxidative effect compared to the standards. As a result of the research, it was determined that E. elaterium extract, which was found to have rich antimicrobial and antioxidative properties, showed antimicrobial effect against existing gram positive and nagative bacteria. In conclusion, many in vitro/in vivo studies are needed to further explore the potential of the plant.