Bioautographic Screening of Antibacterial Properties of Selected Juices, Herbal Infusions, and Cosmetic Ingredients

Abstract

Polyphenols are the products of plant immune system and they characterize with well pronounced antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Owing to a wide spectrum of native polyphenols, herbal infusions, fruit juices, wines, and cosmetic substrates are among the most popular health-care products and for this reason, they undergo intense scientific investigations. Antibacterial properties of botanical material can prove particularly helpful in efforts aiming to lower the amounts of preservatives in alimentary, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. In this study, a comparison is presented of antibacterial properties for (i) nine samples of red wines and the wine extracts, (ii) 13 samples of plant extracts and the extracts thereof used in cosmetic preparations, and (iii) fruit juices and infusions prepared of dried fruits. All these botanical materials are widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and/or alimentary industry. As a rapid screening technique, a simplified version of thin-layer chromatography with bioautographic detection (TLC-BD) was applied, known as the dot blot test with bioautographic detection. This test makes use of chromatographic plates and all details of the procedure are the same as for TLC-BD, except for the fact that the chromatogram is not developed and an assessment of antibacterial properties is carried out for a whole sample spotted on to chromatographic plate, and not for its separated fractions. As a result, the most potent antibacterial action was observed with the pasteurized pure raspberry juice and an infusion made of dried black elderberry fruit.