Determination of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and DNA protective activities of Doronicum macrolepis plant extracts

The plant Doronicum macrolepis is used both in traditional folk medicine and as a tea in Anatolia to alleviate various ailments. However, the need to support traditional uses with scientific data has become essential nowadays, leading to an acceleration of scientific studies in this field in recent years. This study aims to determine the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and DNA protective activities of extracts obtained from the plant using different extraction methods with ethanol. In this research, various biological activities of the extracts, including total phenolic (Folin-Ciocalteu method) and flavonoid (AlCl3 method) content, as well as antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH methods) and antimicrobial (disk diffusion and MIC methods) activities, were determined. The phenolic content was also identified through HPLC analysis. Additionally, for the determination of DNA protective activity, the images of DNA structures resulting from the interaction of damaged plasmid cells with the extracts were interpreted on agarose gel. Based on the obtained values, the biological activities of Doronicum macrolepis plant extracts were identified, leading to the discovery of the most effective usage form. According to the results obtained, it was revealed that the extracts kept in ultrasonic bath for 30 minutes after 24 hours of agitation and the extracts kept in ultrasonic bath for 30 minutes only had higher biological activities compared to the others. According to HPLC results, the highest phenolic component in the extracts was found to be syrincaldehyde. Consequently, the findings contribute significantly to the literature. Moreover, considering the evaluated biological activities of the plant, it is suggested that it may have the potential to be used as a natural, inexpensive, and alternative source in various industries. Key words: Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, DNA Protective Effects, Doronicum macrolepis