Duckweed (Lemna minor L. Lemnaceae) is a widespread, free-floating aquatic macrophyte, a source of food for waterfowl and a shelter for small aquatic invertebrates. It grows quickly and reproduces faster than other vascular plants. | Turk J Biol 34 (2010) 175-188 © TÜBİTAK doi: Antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticandidal activities of an aquatic plant: duckweed (Lemna minor L. Lemnaceae) İlhami GÜLÇİN1,2,*, Ekrem KİREÇCİ3, Ebru AKKEMİK1, Fevzi TOPAL1, Olcay HİSAR4 1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Atatürk University, Erzurum - TURKEY 2School of Health Services, İbrahim Çeçen University, Ağrı - TURKEY 3 School of Health Services, Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş - TURKEY 4Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Aquaculture, Atatürk University, Erzurum - TURKEY Received: Abstract: Duckweed (Lemna minor L. Lemnaceae) is a widespread, free-floating aquatic macrophyte, a source of food for waterfowl and a shelter for small aquatic invertebrates. It grows quickly and reproduces faster than other vascular plants. The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant, antiradical, antimicrobial, and anticandidal activities of duckweed using different in vitro methodologies. For evaluation of antioxidant and antiradical activities, 2,2´-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+) radical scavenging, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH·) free radical scavenging, total antioxidant activity by ferric thiocyanate, total reducing power by potassium ferricyanide reduction method, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and ferrous ions chelating activities were calculated. In addition, α-tocopherol and trolox (a water-soluble analogue of tocopherol), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were used as the reference antioxidant compounds. At the 45 μg mL-1 concentrations of lyophilized water extract (WELM) and ethanol extract (EELM), showed 100% and inhibition, respectively, on lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion. On the other hand, BHA, BHT, α-tocopherol, and trolox demonstrated inhibition of , , , and , respectively, on peroxidation of linoleic .
