CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PHYTOLACCA AMERICANA L. FRUITS AND LEAVES EXTRACTS
Ioana Cristina Marinaș
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts obtained from Phytolacca americana leaves and berries. The total phenols, flavonoids (spectrophotometric method, HPLC), carotenoids, betalains, saponins, antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH methods) and antimicrobial activity of P. americana were assayed. The highest content of phenols (323.80 g/mL extract), flavonoids (9.27 g/mL extract) and saponins (1.61mg/mL extract) was obtained for P. americana leaves extract. The HPLC analysis performed in this study fills an important knowledge gap regarding the profile of Phytolacca phenolic compounds. The P. americana extracts exhibited a selective antimicrobial effect against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains and yeasts (Candida sp). Minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 25 -200 L/mL, the fruits extracts proving to be the most active, probably due to higher amount of betacyannins (76.11% from the total betalains content).