In vitro antibacterial, antioxidant and immunostimulatory activities of Sabia parviflora aqueous extract

In-depth exploration and development of herbal medicine resources are of great significance for human health and development. In the present work, a Sabia parviflora aqueous extract, designated SPAE, was isolated and its potential bioactivities were investigated in vitro. Preliminary disk diffusion screening showed inhibition zones of SPAE against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 11.5 ± 0.3 mm and 11.7 ± 0.5 mm, respectively, at 100 μg/disc. Meanwhile, SPAE can not only scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline−6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals in vitro, but also repair the H 2 O 2 -stimulated damage of oxidative on RAW 264.7 cells via regulating the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase activities (CAT) and related malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Furthermore, SPAE increased phagocytic activity and enhanced secretion of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in RAW 264.7 macrophages, suggesting its potential immunostimulatory activity. Unfortunately, the specific bioactive components in SPAE, and its antibacterial, antioxidant and immunostimulatory mechanisms were not identified. Briefly, it is speculated that SPAE has a potential to be used as ingredient in food, cosmetics, and medicine fields.