Maria Antoniadou: Department of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece. ORCID
Georgios Rozos: Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, 53100 Florina, Greece. ORCID
Natalia Vaou: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
Konstantinos Zaralis: Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, 53100 Florina, Greece. ORCID
Caglar Ersanli: Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece. ORCID
Athanasios Alexopoulos: Laboratory of Microbiology, Biotechnology & Hygiene, Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200 Orestiada, Greece. ORCID
Aikaterini Dadamogia: Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece.
Theodoros Varzakas: Department Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, 24100 Kalamata, Greece. ORCID
Athina Tzora: Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece. ORCID
Chrysoula Chrysa Voidarou: Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, 47100 Arta, Greece. ORCID
This study utilized phytochemical screening to conduct the qualitative analysis of plant extracts, aiming to identify various classes of secondary metabolites. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of different types of and extracts was determined. To achieve the aim of this study, aqueous, ethanolic, and enzymatic extracts were prepared and screened for phytochemical capacity and antioxidant activities. The determination of the antibacterial activity included phenotypic screening of antibiotic susceptibility pattern of oral and food pathogenic bacterial strains, determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration-via microdilution broth test and in vitro valuation of antibacterial efficacies-of the anti-biofilm properties of the studied herbal extractions. Results: Our study evaluated the phytochemical composition and the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-biofilm properties of and extracts. The analyzed samples contained bioactive compounds, such as phenolics and flavonoids, contributing to the observed strong antioxidant effect. Furthermore, they exhibited notable activity against oral biofilm formation and demonstrated significant antibacterial efficacy against dental caries' microorganisms as well as food pathogens. Despite methodological variations, all extracts showed significant antioxidant capacity and promising antibacterial activity against various pathogens, including resistant strains, while also inhibiting biofilm formation. Although limited to two plant species and facing methodological constraints, this study lays the groundwork for future research, indicating the therapeutic potential of and extracts. Further exploration is needed to report on underlying mechanisms and validate efficacy through clinical trials.
