ESTIMATING THE PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT, AND ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY OF WILD ADIANTUM CAPILLUS-VENERIS

This study evaluated some chemical compounds, and the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Adiantum capillus-veneris. The samples were collected from Penjwen in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. The methanolic extract had an overall phenolic value of 45.89 milligrams GAE/ ethanolic extract had an overall phenolic value 45.89 milligram GAEgram gram, evaluated through the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The measured total flavonoid content was 24.58 mg RE/g, determined using the aluminum chloride method. Moreover, the methanolic extract contained total glycoside (121 mg securidaside/g) and total saponin (16 mg/g). The HPLC analysis found that the sample contained ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, apigenin, catechin, and luteolin. Of these compounds, p-coumaric acid and catechin were the most abundant in concentration. The extract's antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH method, with the A. capillus-veneris extract exhibiting scavenging of DPPH radicals at an IC50 value of 106 µg/mL, compared to 250 µg/mL for ascorbic acid. The antibacterial activity of methanolic extract against both gram positive (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria was evaluated using the disc diffusion method. The diameters of inhibition zone values for all tested bacteria increased at higher A. capillus-veneris extract concentrations, with S. aureus and E. coli being the most sensitive bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extract was 100 µg/mL. This study highlights the potential of A. capillus-veneris as a natural source of antioxidant and antibacterial compounds