Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, General Toxicity and Antioxidant Activities of Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts from Prunella vulgaris L

Background/Objectives: This study compared five ultrasound-assisted extracts of Prunella vulgaris L. prepared with water or aqueous ethanol (30%, 50%, 70%, and 96%) and evaluated their phytochemical composition and preliminary antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, brine-shrimp lethality, and antioxidant properties.

Methods

Gallic acid and rosmarinic acid were quantified in all five extracts by a validated HPLC-UV method, with LC-ESI-MS used to support compound identification. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by broth serial dilution and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed in a carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. General toxicity screening was performed using the Artemia salina lethality assay. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by a ferricyanide reducing-power assay and the DPPH radical-scavenging assay.