Chemical Composition, Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Extracts from Dry Leaves and Ash-Dry Leaves of Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem Cultivated in Vietnam

Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem was traditionally used to treat stomachaches, as antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant, particularly for atherosclerosis therapy, as a suppository to cure constipation and spleenopathy, as an anthelmintic, carminative, emmenagogue, galactagogue, and as an antiseptic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of an extract from dry leaves (LuL) compared to ash-dry leaves (LuA) of Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem.

Our results showed the physical-chemical and phytochemical properties, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity and the metal ion content of both extracts. The comparison between the extract from dry leaves (LuL) and ash-dry leaves (LuA) of Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem, showed difference in quantitative phytochemical determination of cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, and triterpenoids. This finding may be related to the LuA sample being burned out incompletely into ash. Furthermore, this study showed that the activity of extracts from dry leaves (LuL) and ash-dry leaves (LuA) contained both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects. The antioxidant properties observed may be related to , the flavonoids content. The presence of metal ions in both extracts, which may contribute to the known wound healing effects, deserves further study.