In Vitro Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Extracts of Turnera diffusa Willd. Ex Schult and Its Polyphenol Profile — Oak Academic Publishing
Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
In Vitro Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Extracts of Turnera diffusa Willd. Ex Schult and Its Polyphenol Profile
Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
,
Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
,
Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
,
Laboratorio de Bioactividad de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Au-Tonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
,
Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
1 Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
2 Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
3 Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
4 Laboratorio de Bioactividad de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Au-Tonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
5 Laboratorio de Farmacobiología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla, México
Turnera diffusa , belonging to the Turneraceae family, is used by communities in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley to treat gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses. The objective of this study was to evaluate antibacterial and antioxidant effects of T. diffusa . The plant was collected in Santa María Ixcatlán, within Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley (Puebla, Mexico). The antibacterial activity of hexane, acetone, and methanol extracts was evaluated using diffusion and agar dilution methods. Microbial survival curves were generated for susceptible microorganisms. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays and the FRAP ferric reduction assay. The chemical composition was determined using colorimetric reactions, and polyphenol profile was analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC. The acetone extract inhibited the growth of 4 Gram-negative and 3 Gram-positive bacterial strains. Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , and S. epidermidis were most susceptible strains (MIC = 2.0 mg/mL). Microbial death curves showed a bactericidal effect of acetone extract on E. coli and S. aureus after two hours of exposure to the extract (4.0 mg/mL). The methanolic extract exhibited highest antioxidant capacity against DPPH and ABTS radicals (IC 50 = 45.66 and 116.79 µg/mL, respectively) and the highest ferric reduction capacity (57.08%). This extract also presented highest concentration of total phenols (6.052%), suggesting that this group of secondary metabolites is responsible for effect. The polyphenol profile of these extracts consisted primarily of phenylpropanoids. The results confirm the antibacterial and antioxidant effects, which supports medicinal use of T. diffusa in treatment of infectious diseases and oxidative stress.
Liu, Q., Liu, M., Liang, W., Li, X., Jing, W., Chen, Z., et al . (2025) Global Distribution and Health Impact of Infectious Disease Outbreaks, 1996-2023: A Worldwide Retrospective Analysis of World Health Organization Emergency Event Reports. Journal of Global Health , 15, Article No. 04151. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.15.04151
Salam, M.A., Al-Amin, M.Y., Salam, M.T., Pawar, J.S., Akhter, N., Rabaan, A.A., et al . (2023) Antimicrobial Resistance: A Growing Serious Threat for Global Public Health. Healthcare , 11, Article 1946. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11131946
Patangia, D.V., Anthony Ryan, C., Dempsey, E., Paul Ross, R. and Stanton, C. (2022) Impact of Antibiotics on the Human Microbiome and Consequences for Host Health. MicrobiologyOpen , 11, e1260. https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.1260
Sharifi-Rad, M., Anil Kumar, N.V., Zucca, P., Varoni, E.M., Dini, L., Panzarini, E., et al . (2020) Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases. Frontiers in Physiology , 11, Article ID: 694. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00694
Ghosh, P., Goswami, S., Roy, S., Das, R., Chakraborty, T. and Ray, S. (2025) Comparative in Vitro Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Leaf Extract Fractions of Crimson Bottlebrush, Callistemon Citrinus (Curtis.) Skeels. The Microbe , 8, Article 100445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microb.2025.100445
Semarnat (2021) Plantas medicinales de méxico. https://goo.su/JZvylo
Mandal, M.K. and Domb, A.J. (2024) Antimicrobial Activities of Natural Bioactive Polyphenols. Pharmaceutics , 16, Article 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16060718
Pandey, K.B. and Rizvi, S.I. (2009) Plant Polyphenols as Dietary Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity , 2, 270-278. https://doi.org/10.4161/oxim.2.5.9498
Martínez-Ávila, G.C.G., Aguilar-Zarate, P. and Rojas, R. (2021) Currently Applied Extraction Processes for Secondary Metabolites from Lippia Turbinata and Turnera diffusa and Future Perspectives. Separations , 8, Article 158. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8090158
Urbizu-González, A.L., Castillo-Ruiz, O., Martínez-Ávila, G.C.G. and Torres-Castillo, J.A. (2017) Natural Variability of Essential Oil and Antioxidants in the Medicinal Plant Turnera diffusa . Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine , 10, 121-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtm.2017.01.013
Reyes-Becerril, M., Maldonado, M., Vimolmangkang, S. and Angulo, C. (2024) In Vivo and ex Vivo Studies Support the Immunostimulant and Immunoprotective Effect of Damiana ( Turnera diffusa Willd) in Almaco Jack ( Seriola rivoliana ). Fish & Shellfish Immunology , 146, Article 109369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109369
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana (2009) Damiana. Turnera dif fusa Willd. Atlas de las plantas de la medicina tradicional Mexicana. Instituto Nacional Indigenista. https://goo.su/ib4CJpW
Szewczyk, K. and Zidorn, C. (2014) Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Bioactivity of the Genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a Focus on Damiana— Turnera diffusa . Journal of Ethnopharmacology , 152, 424-443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.01.019
Hernández, T., Canales, M., Avila, J.G., Duran, A., Caballero, J., Vivar, A.R.D., et al . (2003) Ethnobotany and Antibacterial Activity of Some Plants Used in Traditional Medicine of Zapotitlán De Las Salinas, Puebla (México). Journal of Ethnopharmacology , 88, 181-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-8741(03)00213-7
Bueno, J., Escobar, P., Martínez, J.R., Leal, S.M. and Stashenko, E.E. (2011) Composition of Three Essential Oils, and Their Mammalian Cell Toxicity and Antimycobacterial Activity against Drug Resistant-Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Strains. Natural Product Communications , 6, 1743-1748. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578x1100601143
Zhao, J., Dasmahapatra, A.K., Khan, S.I. and Khan, I.A. (2008) Anti-Aromatase Activity of the Constituents from Damiana ( Turnera diffusa ). Journal of Ethnopharmacology , 120, 387-393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.016
Avelino-Flores, M.C., Cruz-López, M.C., Jiménez-Montejo, F.E. and Reyes-Leyva, J. (2015) Cytotoxic Activity of the Methanolic Extract of Turnera diffusa Willd on Breast Cancer Cells. Journal of Medicinal Food , 18, 299-305. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2013.0055
Taha, M.M.E., Salga, M.S., Ali, H.M., Abdulla, M.A., Abdelwahab, S.I. and Hadi, A.H.A. (2012) Gastroprotective Activities of Turnera diffusa Willd. Ex Schult. Revisited: Role of Arbutin. Journal of Ethnopharmacology , 141, 273-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.02.030
Parra-Naranjo, A., Delgado-Montemayor, C., Fraga-López, A., Castañeda-Corral, G., Salazar-Aranda, R., Acevedo-Fernández, J., et al . (2017) Acute Hypoglycemic and Antidiabetic Effect of Teuhetenone a Isolated from Turnera diffusa . Molecules , 22, Article 599. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22040599
Báez-Parra, K.M., Soto-Beltrán, M., López-Cuevas, O., Heredia, J.B., Alcaraz-Meléndez, L. and Angulo-Escalante, M.A. (2019) In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Methanolic and Hexanic Extracts of Turnera diffusa against Common Urinary Pathogens. Revista Bio Ciencias , 6, e670.
Delgado-Montemayor, C., Cordero-Pérez, P., Torres-González, L., Salazar-Cavazos, M.d.l.L., Saucedo, A.L., Paniagua-Vega, D., et al . (2022) Development of a Hepatoprotective Herbal Drug from Turnera diffusa . Evidence - Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , 2022, Article ID: 5114948. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5114948
Hudzicki, J. (2009) Kirby-Bauer Disk Diffusion Susceptibility Test Protocol. American Society for Microbiology, 1-23. https://goo.su/r9dk
Wiegand, I., Hilpert, K. and Hancock, R.E.W. (2008) Agar and Broth Dilution Methods to Determine the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of Antimicrobial Substances. Nature Protocols , 3, 163-175. https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2007.521
Candelaria-Dueñas, S., Serrano-Parrales, R., Ávila-Romero, M., Meraz-Martínez, S., Orozco-Martínez, J., Ávila-Acevedo, J.G., et al . (2021) Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Some Components of the Essential Oils of Plants Used in the Traditional Medicine of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Puebla, México. Antibiotics , 10, Article 295. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10030295
Baliyan, S., Mukherjee, R., Priyadarshini, A., Vibhuti, A., Gupta, A., Pandey, R.P., et al . (2022) Determination of Antioxidants by DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity and Quantitative Phytochemical Analysis of Ficus Religiosa. Molecules , 27, Article 1326. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27041326
Re, R., Pellegrini, N., Proteggente, A., Pannala, A., Yang, M. and Rice-Evans, C. (1999) Antioxidant Activity Applying an Improved ABTS Radical Cation Decolorization Assay. Free Radical Biology and Medicine , 26, 1231-1237. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0891-5849(98)00315-3
Benzie, I.F.F. and Strain, J.J. (1996) The Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) as a Measure of “Antioxidant Power”: The FRAP Assay. Analytical Biochemistry , 239, 70-76. https://doi.org/10.1006/abio.1996.0292
Robles-García, M.A., Aguilar, A.J., Gutiérrez-Lomelí, M., Rodríguez-Félix, F., Morales-Del-Río, J.A., Guerrero-Medina, P.J., et al . (2016) Identificación cualitativa de metabolitos secundarios y determinación de la citotoxicidad de extractos de Tempisque ( Sideroxylum capiri Pittier). Revista de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud , 18, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.18633/biotecnia.v18i3.328
Singleton, V.L., Orthofer, R. and Lamuela-Raventós, R.M. (1999) Analysis of Total Phenols and Other Oxidation Substrates and Antioxidants by Means of Folin-Ciocalteu Reagent. Methods in Enzymology , 299, 152-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0076-6879(99)99017-1
Vaou, N., Stavropoulou, E., Voidarou, C., Tsakris, Z., Rozos, G., Tsigalou, C., et al . (2022) Interactions between Medical Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds: Focus on Antimicrobial Combination Effects. Antibiotics , 11, Article 1014. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11081014
Reygaert, W.C. (2018) An Overview of the Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms of Bacteria. AIMS Microbiology , 4, 482-501. https://doi.org/10.3934/microbiol.2018.3.482
WHO (2022) Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) Report 2022. WHO. https://goo.su/7dpQSK
Dembińska, K., Shinde, A.H., Pejchalová, M., Richert, A. and Swiontek Brzezinska, M. (2025) The Application of Natural Phenolic Substances as Antimicrobial Agents in Agriculture and Food Industry. Foods , 14, Article 1893. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14111893
Jacobo‐Velázquez, D.A. and Cisneros‐Zevallos, L. (2009) Correlations of Antioxidant Activity against Phenolic Content Revisited: A New Approach in Data Analysis for Food and Medicinal Plants. Journal of Food Science , 74, R107-R113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01352.x
Piluzza, G. and Bullitta, S. (2011) Correlations between Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Properties in Twenty-Four Plant Species of Traditional Ethnoveterinary Use in the Mediterranean Area. Pharmaceutical Biology , 49, 240-247. https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209.2010.501083
Sulaiman, S.F., Yusoff, N.A.M., Eldeen, I.M., Seow, E.M., Sajak, A.A.B., Ooi, K.L., et al . (2011) Correlation between Total Phenolic and Mineral Contents with Antioxidant Activity of Eight Malaysian Bananas (Musa Sp.). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis , 24, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2010.04.005
Bibi Sadeer, N., Montesano, D., Albrizio, S., Zengin, G. and Mahomoodally, M.F. (2020) The Versatility of Antioxidant Assays in Food Science and Safety—Chemistry, Applications, Strengths, and Limitations. Antioxidants , 9, Article 709. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9080709
Scarano, A., Laddomada, B., Blando, F., De Santis, S., Verna, G., Chieppa, M., et al . (2023) The Chelating Ability of Plant Polyphenols Can Affect Iron Homeostasis and Gut Microbiota. Antioxidants , 12, Article 630. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12030630
Khokhar, S. and Owusu Apenten, R.K. (2003) Iron Binding Characteristics of Phenolic Compounds: Some Tentative Structure-Activity Relations. Food Chemistry , 81, 133-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0308-8146(02)00394-1
Zhao, J., Pawar, R.S., Ali, Z. and Khan, I.A. (2007) Phytochemical Investigation of Turnera diffusa . Journal of Natural Products , 70, 289-292. https://doi.org/10.1021/np060253r
Oliveira-Silva, M., Santos, M.H., Nunes, X., Fernandes-Santos, E. and Bispo, E. (2020) Phytochemical Analysis of Turnera diffusa Willd. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research , 8, 402-411. https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol8.iss11.2804
Su, G., Yang, L., Liu, S., Song, J., Jiang, W. and Jin, X. (2024) Review on Factors Affecting Nanofluids Surface Tension and Mechanism Analysis. Journal of Molecular Liquids , 407, 125159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.125159
Taheri, A. and Jafari, S.M. (2019) Gum-Based Nanocarriers for the Protection and Delivery of Food Bioactive Compounds. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science , 269, 277-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2019.04.009
Džarić, T., Petrović, D. and Božović, M. (2025) Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Different Extracts from Rosa canina L. Fruits. Natural Product Communications , 20, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578x251369590
Zeb, A. (2020) Concept, Mechanism, and Applications of Phenolic Antioxidants in Foods. Journal of Food Biochemistry , 44, e13394. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13394
Yingngam, B. (2023) Modern Solvent-Free Microwave Extraction with Essential Oil Optimization and Structure-Activity Relationships. Studies in Natural Products Chemistry , 77, 365-420.
Lin, Y. and Yan, Y. (2014) Biotechnological Production of Plant‐Specific Hydroxylated Phenylpropanoids. Biotechnology and Bioengineering , 111, 1895-1899. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.25237
Neelam, Khatkar, A. and Sharma, K.K. (2019) Phenylpropanoids and Its Derivatives: Biological Activities and Its Role in Food, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Industries. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition , 60, 2655-2675. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2019.1653822