Screening of antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic activities, anatomical and morphological properties of Colchicum speciosum Steven (Colchicaceae)

Colchicum speciosum Steven species is a perennial stemless plant. C. speciosum is a flowering herb native to mountainous regions of northern Turkey, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. It has been known as "Vargit, Aci cigdem, Guz cigdemi". The present study reports the antimicrobial, antioxidant, alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities of corm, leaf and flower methanol extracts, anatomical (light and electron microscopes) properties of root, corm, leaf, flowers and morphological characteristics of C. speciosum. Three different part of extracts C. speciosum were evaluated against E. coli ATCC 8739, S. aureus ATCC 6538, B. subtilis ATCC 19,659, C. albicans ATCC 10,231, C. krusei ATCC 14,243, and C. tropicalis ATCC 750. The most effective extract was found to be MeOH extract for corm and leaf against C. tropicalis ATCC 750 strain with MIC value 160 > mu g/mL. It has been investigated first time anatomy of the tepal, ovary, anther, filament of C. speciosum. Leaf extract was the highest phenolic component (78.61842 mu g GAE/mg extract). As a result of DPPH center dot and ABTS(center dot+) tests, it was determined that the leaf extract showed the best activity (IC50 = 6.568 mu g/mL and IC50 = 3.243 mu g/mL, respectively). Corm extract exhibited alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 21039 mu g/mL. This is the first study of the in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic activities, detailed anatomical and morphological properties of C. speciosum.