Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of <i>Terminalia bialata</i> leaves

Abstract This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of 70% ethanol extract from Terminalia bialata for use as a potential natural preservative. Antimicrobial activity was tested against gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacterial strains as well as a yeast strain using gentamicin and fluconazole as positive controls. The disc diffusion assay revealed potent antimicrobial activity of T. bialata extract against the selected strains. IC 50 values further confirmed its antimicrobial efficacy. Live/Dead viability assays and scanning electron microscopy analyses indicated both cellular responses and morphological changes. T. bialata extracts also exhibited antioxidant activity by inhibiting intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Overall, these findings suggest that T. bialata extract could be utilized as a potential natural preservative to replace synthetic chemicals.