Antioxidant and antibacterial potential of <i>Chromolaena odorata</i> (L.) medicinal plant extracts

Chromolaena odorata, or Siam weed, is an invasive plant species that inhibits the growth of crops. Ethanolic extracts of C. odorata leaves, stems, roots and flowers were studied for their polyphenol contents and biological properties including antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Results showed that all the samples contained polyphenolic secondary metabolites with biological properties, particularly the leaf extracts. The novel finding from this study was that ethanolic extracts of C. odorata contained polyphenolic secondary metabolites with antioxidant and antibacterial properties against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This straightforward approach provided a new way to inhibit pathogenic bacteria with potential medicinal applications.