Phenolic Components and Antioxidant Activity of Prunus spinosa from Gumushane, Turkey

Abstract

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) is a fruit of the genus Prunus from the family Rosaceae. It grows wild in various regions in Turkey (especially in central, north, west, and south Anatolia). It has numerous stems covered in dark bark with young twigs pubescent. The fruit is cherry black, blueish in color [1]. It is commonly known as sloe, blackthorn, prunellier, or endrino. The fruits are popularly called ‘‘sloes.’’ Although they look succulent, they are far too bitter for human consumption and are only used as flavoring in homemade liqueurs. Sloes are blueish black, bloomy, globular drupe, 10–15 mm with green astringent flesh. Blackthorn fruits also possess purgative properties [1]. Sloes are too bitter to eat but can be made into home-made wine. More commonly, they are used to flavor sloe gin. The plum is a stone-fruit tree producing sweet, juicy fruit that can be eaten fresh or used in jam-making or other recipes. The genus Prunus, often referred to as stone fruits, is one of the most important woody plant genera [2]. Some blackthorn shrubs show evidence of interbreeding with bullace or other blackthorns. While the sloe or blackthorn (P. spinosa) is confined to Europe, bullace is found from the Himalayas to the shores of the Caspian, from Armenia to the North of Africa, and as far as southern Scotland. The Drupacea, including peaches, nectarines, almonds, and cherries, are obviously related [1–3]. As a wild edible gathered for raw consumption or making juices and jams, the fruits are a good source of nutrients. They are particularly rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and carotenoids and flavonoids, which are of both nutritional and medicinal value [4, 5]. P. spinosa has also been used for food in times of want [6]. Among the recorded species, ethnobotanical studies have reported that the fruit of P. spinosa subsp. Dasyphylla, known as “guvem” in Turkish, has been used as a decoction in the treatment of cardiac diseases in the European part of Turkey [7]. Therefore, some wild fruits such as the rose are still important due to their biological activities. There are a limited number of studies on Prunus spinosa L. [1, 8, 9]. The current study was designed to assess the phenolic composition, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, and in vitro biological activities, in terms of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities, of Prunus spinosa, as well as to evaluate their nutritional and medicinal potentials. P. spinosa has been used as an astringent, diuretic, and purgative [9]. Its high phenolic constituents mean that it PHENOLIC COMPONENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF Prunus spinosa FROM GUMUSHANE, TURKEY