Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PHYTOLACCA AMERICANA L. FRUITS AND LEAVES EXTRACTS

IOANA CRISTINA MARINAŞ 1,2, ELIZA OPREA 3*, ELISABETA-IRINA GEANĂ 4, CRISTINA
MIHAELA LUNTRARU 5, CERASELA ELENA GÎRD 6, MARIANA-CARMEN CHIFIRIUC 1,7

1Research Institute of the University of Bucharest-ICUB, 91-95 Spl. Independentei, Bucharest, Romania University of
Bucharest and Faculty of Biology, Microbiology Department, 1-3 Portocalilor Way, 060101, Bucharest, Romania
2National Institute of Research and Development for Food Bioresources – IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintila Street, 021102, Bucharest, Romania
3University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
4National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies – ICIT Rm. Valcea, 4 Uzinei Street, PO Raureni, 240050 Râmnicu Valcea, Romania
5S.C. Hofigal Export Import S.A., Research Development Patents Department, no. 2 Intrarea Serelor Street, district 4, Bucharest, Romania
6“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956, Bucharest, Romania
7Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania

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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 µg/mL extract), flavonoids (9.27 µg/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 µL/mL, the fruits extracts proving to be the most active, probably due to higher amount of betacyannins (76.11% from the total betalains content).