Abstract
This study was aimed at investigating the phytochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial profiles of whole plant extracts of Pistia stratiotes using methanol and distilled water as solvents. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was compared to Butylated hydroxyl toluene, a well-known standard antioxidant, through various assays including DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, TAC, and hydroxyl radical scavenging. The antibacterial activity of the aqueous and methanol extracts was tested against six microbial pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Acinobacter baumanii, Klebsiella pneumoniae (gram-negative), Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive), and Candida albicans (fungus), at different concentrations (75 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, and 25 mg/ml). The results indicated that the plant extracts exhibited lower antioxidant activity compared to the conventional antioxidant in all tested models. However, both the aqueous and methanol extracts of P. stratiotes demonstrated concentration-dependent antimicrobial activities against the tested pathogens. The presence of phenols, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and terpenoids was detected in P. stratiotes extracts. The observed antimicrobial activity against the test isolates suggests the potential of this plant as a source of alternative antibiotics and antifungal compounds, which could contribute to the development of innovative antimicrobial drugs for addressing various ailments.

Key words: In vitro, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Pistia stratiotes, Phytochemicals, Aqueous, Methanol