Phytochemical analysis and assessment of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of some medicinal plant species from Egyptian flora

•The emergence of MDR pathogens demands the search for novel antimicrobial agents.•Plants offer unlimited source of bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical applications.•Varthemia candicans and Suaeda vermiculata showed the highest antioxidant activities.•Salsola vermiculata and Suaeda vermiculata showed significant antimicrobial activity.•GC–MS analysis revealed the identity of antimicrobial active compounds in both extracts.