Determination bioactivity of Valeriana phu L. in Ardahanregion

Oxidative stress is shown as the main cause of many chronic and degenerative diseases. Because of synthetic antioxidants' toxicity and undesirable effects, finding new antioxidant natural agents is vital, especially in edible plants. Valeriana species, an edible plant known as "Valerian" in folk medicine, is known for its antioxidant content and is used for many purposes. Valeriana officinalis, the most known and used species of this family, has an important area of use with its calming effect, especially today when stress-related diseases such as sleep disorders, heart palpitations, migraine, and restlessness are very common. Although one of the morphologically closest species to Valeriana officinalis is Valerina phu L., studies on its bioactivity are limited. This study determined the antioxidative (total antioxidant capacity, glutathione, and catalase), antimicrobial activities, and phenolic contents of Valeriana phu L. species grown in Ardahan. Antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of valerian Bacillus licheniformis (ATCC 14580), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii (ATCC 6633), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 33495), and Enterobacter aerogenes (ATCC 13048) were studied against test bacteria. While total antioxidant capacity, GSH, and Catalase levels were similar to V. officinalis, the antioxidant properties of rhizome extracts were higher than leaf extracts. Both methanolic extracts obtained from Valeriana phu leaves, and rhizomes were found to have varying degrees of antibacterial activity on test bacteria. Likewise, it is observed that methanolic rhizome extract is more effective against test bacteria than leaf extract. In conclusion, the obtained data suggest that V. phu has an unexplored potential and can be medically evaluated as the parent species of the genus V. officinalis.