ASSESSMENT OF BIOACTIVITY OF SALIX BABYLONICA EXTRACT IN THAI NGUYEN PROVICE

Abstract

Willows (Salix babylonica) are trees and shrubs that are widely distributed in Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia. This species is used in folk medicine and contains many biologically active substances, including salicin, a precursor of salicylic acid. In this study, we extracted 500g of ethanol extract from 6kg of fresh willow leaves using the reflux extraction method to determine its chemical composition and evaluate its antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The results showed that the ethanol extract of willow leaves contains phenolic, alkaloid, flavonoid, coumarin, and steroid groups. It also exhibits high antioxidant activity, with an average IC50 value of 5.65 µg/ml. Moreover, the ethanol extract of willow leaves exhibits strong antibacterial activity, especially against Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. However, its antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Citrobacter freundii is comparatively weaker. These research findings highlight the potential of willow trees as a natural alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial diseases in humans.