Phytochemical, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Evaluation of Aerial-Part Extracts of Tanacetum parthenium L.

Abstract

Background: Tanacetum parthenium L., often known as feverfew, is a medicinal plant that has long been used to prevent migraines and treat inflammatory diseases. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of comparative information about the phytochemical and biological characteristics of its aerial-part extracts. The purpose of this research was to assess the phytochemical components, antibacterial potential, and antioxidant activity of petroleum ether, ethanol, and aqueous extracts of T. parthenium aerial parts. Methods: The extracts were submitted to qualitative phytochemical screening after successive solvent extraction. Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride techniques were used to measure the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), respectively. The DPPH radical-scavenging test was used to measure antioxidant activity, while broth microdilution and agar well diffusion methods were used to measure antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Findings: The ethanol extract had the strongest DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀ 52.31 ± 1.49 µg/mL) and the greatest TPC (148.72 ± 3.15 mg GAE/g) and TFC (62.34 ± 1.92 mg QE/g). Additionally, it showed the biggest zones of inhibition, and the most vulnerable organism was S. aureus (19.4 ± 0.8 mm; MIC 1.56 mg/mL). While the petroleum ether extract was essentially inert, the aqueous extract exhibited modest activity. In conclusion, the ethanol extract of the aerial portions of T. parthenium is a rich source of phenolic compounds with notable antibacterial and antioxidant properties in vitro, indicating the need for more research to isolate bioactive components and assess safety.