In vitro anticancer and antibacterial activities of Avena ludoviciana L.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with approximately 10 million people dying by 2020. Therapeutic advances in the spectrum of cancers continue at a rapid pace. Antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective as drug resistance spreads around the world, making infections and death more difficult to treat. Adverse drug reactions, as well as drug resistance, remain key challenges to treatment success. Natural resources play an important role in the development of anticancer and antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer and antibacterial effect of Avena ludoviciana L. leaves. Chemical compounds were screened and identified using GC mass spectrometry. The anticancer effect of hydroalcoholic extract and fractions (hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) of Avena ludoviciana L. leaves were evaluated by the MTT method on Skov3 and MRC5 cell lines. Antibacterial activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Avena ludoviciana L. Leaves on four bacterial strains was investigated by agar well diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by dilution methods. The results showed that different concentrations of hydroalcoholic extracts and fractions significantly reduced the growth of the Skov3 cell line compared to the control group after 48 hours, dose-dependently (P <0.05). Hydroalcoholic extracts except E. coli were tested on all gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria (P <0.05). The largest growth-inhibitory diameter was observed in S. aureus. that was the most sensitive bacteria (lowest MIC) and B. cereus was the most resistant bacteria (lowest MIC) to the extract. Our results show that medicinal plants can be promising sources of natural products with potential anticancer and antimicrobial activity. Further research is suggested for clinical trials, identification, and extraction of effective compounds