Bioactivities of Chuquiraga straminea sandwith.

Methanolic extracts of Chuquirago straminea Sandwith, subfamily Bamadesioideae (Asteraceae) showed the presence of quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity was determined. The total extracts showed antioxidant activity by DPPH and AB-rs method (SC50 14.5 to 34.9 mu g/mL). A significantly positive correlation was observed between the antioxidant activity and the total phenolics (R2 > 0.93). The extracts were active against ten methicillin resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from nosocomial infection (MIC values between 200 to 800 mu g/mL). These preliminary studies are highly interesting as they open new ways for further applications in the treatment of infections by methicillin resistant S. aureus.