The Phytochemical Compounds and the Antimicrobial Activity of <i>Portulaca oleracea</i> Aqueous &amp; Methanol Extracts in Iraq

Abstract A number of medicinal phytochemical compounds from the vegetative parts of Portulaca oleracea were isolated in the current study. These compounds demonstrated antifungal and antibacterial activity against bacteria like Proteus mirabilis and Candida albicans . So the current study is identifying the high concentrations of active compounds of the P. oleracea plant and their effectiveness as antimicrobials by testing the effectiveness of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the vegetative parts of the plant against bacteria and Candida, Plant parts of P. oleracea were subjected to gas chromate-graphy-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to determine their phytochemical composition. Highest activity against bacteria and fungi was observed in the results. The study employed six aqueous extract concentrations. (5,10,20,40,60,80) mg/ml were given a results of against Candida albicans (0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,18.00mm,24.00mm) respectively in the diameter of colonies, while the results against Proteus mirabilis was (0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,9.00mm,22.00mm,28.00mm) respectively in the diameter of colonies. Using the same concentration mentioned above but for the methanol extract the results showed inhibition on Candida albicans were as follows: (0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,10.00mm,12.00mm) respectively in colony diameter, and the corresponding colony diameters for the inhibition on Proteus mirabilis were (0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,0.00mm,12.00mm,28.00mm). The presence of seven bioactive phytochemical compounds was revealed by GC-MS analysis of compounds to P. oleracea vegetative parts.: Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4- (1-methylethenyl)-,(S), Benzeneacetaldehyde, Linalool, Terpinen-4-ol, α-Terpineol, 1,3,7-Octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl, Cyclohexanol and 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-, acetate. And most of these compounds were terpenes and their derivatives, which proved their inhibitory effect when alcoholic and aqueous plant extracts were tested on microbial growth.