Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Evaluation of Fruit Extract from Cornus mas L.

In this present study, water and methanol extracts of Cornelian cherry fruits (Cornus mas L.) were studied for evaluating of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The antioxidant properties were evaluated by determination of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability and lipid peroxidation inhibition activity. Also total phenolic contents of the extracts were detected by Folin method. The extracts of the fruits have antioxidant potential. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was higher in water extract (36.6 %) than the methanol extract (30.6 %). Unlike, methanol extract of fruits have more activity (18.9 %) than water extract (16.7 %), also with higher phenolic compound contents.  Antimicrobial activities of above extracts were also tested against 93 clinical isolates of human pathogenic strains belonging to 5 bacteria (Entorobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) and 5 yeast species (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida parapisilosis, Candida tropicalis) by disk-diffusion method. The results showed cornelian cherries are potentially rich source of antimicrobial agents. The most effective antibacterial activity was expressed by methanol and water extract of cornelian cherry fruit against S. aureus with 25 mm inhibition zone and 0.156 mg/ml Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value. Only methanol extracts of the fruit have antifungal activity against tested human pathogen clinic isolates.