The species Phragmanthera regulars is a shrub that belongs to the family Loranthaceae and to the genus Phragmanthera. In Mozambique, this plant is used to treat respiratory and infectious diseases, however, scientific information regarding its phytochemical composition and pharmacological activity is scarce. In the present research, antioxidant capacity of hydroethanolic extract of the leaves of the Phragmanthera regularis was studied. The total phenolic and total tannins were quantified by the spectrophotometric methods of Folin-Ciocalteu. The total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined using aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was evaluated using reducing methods and free radical scavenging methods. The antibacterial activity was measured using the agar diffusion method against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The extract showed relatively higher content of total phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. The antioxidant potential found for the extract was relatively higher than quercetin in the DPPH and phosphomolybdenum method and no significant differences were found for the FRAP (p<0.05). Regarding the antibacterial activity, the extract inhibited the growth of all test microorganisms with minimal inhibitory concentrations in the order of: S. diarizonae (30 µg/disc), K. pneumoniae and S. epidermidis (50 µg/disc)> P. mirabilis, S. boydii, S. typhimurium and S. pyogenes (375 µg/disc). The present study demonstrated that P. regularis leaves can be a good source of polyphenols, which can be useful in preventing diseases where free radicals are involved. In addition, the results demonstrate that the leaves can be a good antibacterial agent responsible for gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in humans.
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