Investigation of antibacterial and antioxidant activity of equisetum Arvense L.

To date, the search for bioactive compounds from new natural sources has been shown to improve food quality, general standard of living and public health. Among bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds constitute the most studied group.Many studies have proven that plant-derived polyphenols have anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties and are effective in reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. In addition, because of the antioxidant activities of phenolic compounds, they can prevent oxidative damage by neutralizing free radicals, clearing oxygen or breaking down peroxides. It is estimated that between fifty thousand and seventy thousand different plant species are used in various medicinal practices around the globe, including both traditional and contemporary approaches. The cosmetics and botanicals businesses, which are both developing rapidly, utilize an uncountable number of other species. The vast majority of these components are obtained via the collecting of samples from various natural resources. Wild collection is expected to remain the primary source for the majority of medicinal and aromatic plant species in the majority of the world's regions, based on the ecological, economic, and social variables that are involved in the matter. This is the case despite the increased interest in cultivation. The issue of bacterial resistance is a prevalent concern that has garnered significant attention in the research community. Numerous efforts are currently underway to identify viable solutions and explore potential chemical or natural alternatives that possess the requisite therapeutic properties. These alternatives should exhibit potent antibacterial and antifungal efficacy while minimizing adverse effects and economic burden. Additionally, the inclusion of efficacious antioxidants is highly desirable in such alternatives. Herbs have long been used to counteract all kinds of microbial infections. Many types of microorganisms can develop multiple resistance to standard antibiotics. New molecules isolated from plants can break the bacterial resistance mechanism and inhibit bacterial growth. For such reasons, in the face of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant forms of bacteria, it has become a necessity to search for new active molecules with a wide antibacterial spectrum. Natural compounds, such as those found in medicinal plants, are receiving more research interest due to their antibacterial capabilities. There is reason to believe that microbial resistance to plant compounds might develop at a far slower rate, if at all, than chemical resistance, which reflects well for the prospects of such investigations. The biological activities of plant extracts largely depend on the extraction efficiency of bioactive components and the composition of the extracts. Extraction with solvents is frequently used for the isolation of antioxidant compounds, and both the extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity of extracts have a strong relationship with the solvent used, mainly due to the different polarities of the compounds obtained. Organic solvents (petroleum ether, hexane, chloroform, methanol, etc.) are widely used, especially for the extraction of phenolic compounds to be used as antioxidants. The choice of the most suitable solvent is a determining factor on the extract properties, and due to the different structure and composition of the matrix, each matrix-solvent system exhibits a certain unpredictable behavior. Due to the fact that the extracts of Equisetum arvense L. contain a wide variety of pharmacological activities, they are of major value in the area of drug development. This is something that has been acknowledged in a number of different countries. Equisetum arvense has a long history of use in traditional medical practices, where it has been used to treat a variety of diseases, including brittle fingernails, hair loss, and rheumatic disorders. This plant has been recognized as a potential source of medicine in a number of different countries due to the ease with which it may be collected, its widespread availability, and its significant biological features. This study was conducted on 100 swabs (burn, ear, abscess, nose), stool, and urine samples, isolated and previously diagnosed in the laboratory. They were brought to the laboratory from Sakarya Research Hospital in 2023, a period between the months of 8-12. In our study, it was aimed to determine the solvent and extraction method that reveals the biological activities and phenolic content of the Equisetum arvense plant at the maximum rate. Leaf and stem extracts of Equisetum arvense were prepared using the soxhlet and maceration method in the presence of 5 different solvents. Total phenolic content (TPC) of the extracts was determined by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activities were determined by using the DPPH radical scavenging test. The Equisetum arvense plant was examined in this research using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) data. The SEM images show the surface of the leaf, while the EDX data show the inside of the leaf. The stem of the plant was also examined. The results of this study revealed that there are differences in the morphological images of each component that was employed, as well as differences in the elemental composition that was shown in the results of the EDX spectroscopic analysis. The antibacterial activity of Equisetum arvense leaf and branch extracts on test bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 and Enterecoccus faecalis ATCC 29212 was investigated using the disk diffusion method.The bacteria that are most likely to be resistant to antibiotic treatment were selected. These germs are the ones that cause sickness. When the total phenolic contents of Equisetum arvense stem and leaf extracts were examined, it was determined that the highest total phenolic compound in the leaf was in the acetonic extract prepared by the maceration method (507.61 mgGA/g), and in the stem it was found in the acetonic extract prepared by the soxhlet method (466 mgGA/g). It was observed that leaf and branch extracts prepared with petroleum ether had the lowest phenolic content. It was determined that the methanolic extract prepared from leaf pieces by the soxhlet method was 85.1%, the acetonic extract was 84.5%, the methanolic extract prepared by the maceration method was 83% and the acetonic extract was 84.1% scavenged DPPH radicals, and as a result of the study, it was determined that the maceration method gave better results. It was determined that the extracts obtained from the branch showed lower DPPH radical scavenging activity than the leaf in both methods. Stem surface of Equisetum arvense on EDX spectroscopy has concetrations of elements, with oxygen being the most abundant, followed by carbon, potassium, and aluminum, and the elements on the inner side of the leaf showing a similar pattern, with carbon having the highest percentage, followed by oxygen, sulfur, silicon, sodium, and calcium. When the antibacterial activity results were examined, the methanolic leaf extract prepared by the maceration method showed an inhibition zone of 14.5 mm on S. aureus, 14.2 mm on S. epidermidis and 14 mm on E. faecalis.Acetonic leaf extract created an inhibition zone diameter of 9.5 mm on S. aureus and E. faecalis bacteria. Stem methanolic extract prepared by the maceration method showed an inhibition zone diameter of 8 mm on S. aureus, and acetonic extract showed an inhibition zone diameter of 11 mm on S. aureus. It has been determined that leaf extracts show higher antibacterial activity than branch extracts. It was determined that the ethyl acetate extract prepared by the soxhlet method creates an inhibition zone diameter of 9.5 mm on E. faecalis, and the methanol and acetonic extracts creates an inhibition zones diameter of 8 mm. The methanolic extract obtained from the stem showed antibacterial activity 10mm only on E. faecalis. It has been determined that extracts prepared by the Soxhlet method for Equisetum arvense plant generally exhibit lower antibacterial activity than extracts prepared by the maceration method. As a result of the study, it was determined that the method and solvent used in the preparation of the extract were important in revealing the chemical content and displaying the activity.While the extracts produced by the maceration method exhibited higher antibacterial activity, the extracts obtained by the soxhlet method showed higher antioxidant activity. It was determined that qualitative efficiency was not directly related to extract yield values. The highest antioxidant and antibacterial activity was found in methanolic leaf extract. Methanol and acetone were determined to be ideal solvents for TPC antioxidant and antimicrobial activity studies with Equisetum arvense. In addition, the importance of pre-experimental optimization to find the appropriate method and solvent while investigating the biological activities of herbal extracts was revealed in our study. In this investigation, the biological activities of the leaves and stems of the Equisetum arvense plant were studied separately with 5 different solvents and compared in detail for the first time. These biological activities include antibacterial and antioxidative, and we did not find this work in previous studies. For example, this study was the first time that antibacterial and antioxidative activities were examined separately with solvents.