Free Radical Scavenging and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Geranium Species

There are 35 Geranium (Geraniaceae) species recorded in the Flora of Turkey1,2. Some Geranium (Geraniaceae) species are used as antidiabetic, hemostatic, antihemorrhoidal, antidiarrheic and for the treatment of pain, fevers and gastrointestinal ailments3. Leaves of some Geranium species are consumed as food in Anatolia4. Furthermore, tubers of G. tuberosum in Erzurum and aerial parts of G. purpureum in Kocaeli are used as vegetable4,5. Plants from the genus Geranium are known to contain flavonoids6,7, tannins7,8, lignans9 and essential oils10. Recent papers reported that flavonoids and tannins isolated from this genus have different biological activities such as antileishmanial7, antiinflammatory11, antiprotozoal12, antiinfluenza13 antioxidant 6,8,14, antiproliferative14. Phytochemical investigations on G. tuberosum subsp. tuberosum and G. lasiopus resulted in the isolation of flavonoids, simple phenolic compounds and tannins15,16 in our laboratory. In the present study, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Geranium tuberosum L. subsp. tuberosum, G. purpureum Vill. and G. lasiopus Boiss&Heldr. are investigated. In order to evaluate the possible efficacy of antioxidant