Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene 2476-3241 11 1 2025 04 08 28 36 Shilan Muhammad Abdulla Food Science and Quality Control Department, College of Agricultural Engineering Science, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani, Iraq. 2025 08 02 2025 08 18 The current study investigated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ginger, saffron, and red pepper extracts. The extracts of plants were prepared by adding plant powder to distilled water and stirring at 60°C for 24 h. The antioxidant capacity was measured utilizing DPPH radical scavenging. The increasing order of antioxidant activity at 1 mg/mL concentration was as follows: saffron (78.5%) < ginger (79.3%) < red pepper (83.4%) < ascorbic acid (99.7%, as control). The TPC for ginger, red pepper, and saffron was 9.78 ± 1.42, 4.72 ± 0.85, and 6.41 ± 0.63 mg GAE/g, respectively. The TFC for ginger, red pepper, and saffron was 3.74 ± 0.65, 8.78 ± 0.42, and 2.61 ± 0.34 mg QE/g, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of plant extracts were assessed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The saffron extract had the highest inhibitory effect against Bacillus cereus (MIC = 3.12 mg/mL, MBC = 6.25 mg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 6.25 mg/mL, MBC = 12.5 mg/mL). Ginger extract also showed high efficacy, especially against S. aureus (MIC = 3.12 mg/mL). In contrast, red pepper extract had a less potent effect on the studied species. The findings of this study showed that plant extracts had suitable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making them a good choice for use as natural preservatives in various industries. https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/571