1,2-benzendiol isolated from persimmon roots and its structural analogues show antimicrobial activities against food-borne bacteria

Abstract

Antimicrobial activities of the five fractions obtained from the methanol extract of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) roots were evaluated against eight food-borne bacteria using the agar diffusion method. The chloroform fraction possessed strong antimicrobial activity against eight food-borne bacteria. 1,2-Benzenediol was isolated by chromatographic analyses. The structure-activity relationships of two isomers (1,3-benzendiol and 1,4-benzenediol) and seven structural analogs (3-methy-, 4-methyl-, 3-methoxy-, 4-chloro-, 4-nitro-, 4-tert-butyl-, and tetrabromo-1,2-benzenediol) were tested against food-borne bacteria. When various functional groups were added to 1,2-benzenediol, the 1,2-benzendiol analogs exerted potent activities against the eight food-borne bacteria. In the case of minimum inhibitory concentration, 1,2-benzendiol and its structural analogs showed significantly potent antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria. Taken together, these findings indicate that D. kaki root-isolated 1,2-benzendiol and its structural analogs could be useful as eco-food supplemental agents.