Study of Natural Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Juice for Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity

Abstract

Natural Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) is rich in polyphenols most of which are anthocyanins. These compounds and other natural plant products are recently evaluated for their anti-infectious activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial and antiviral activity of AMFJ. AMFJ bacteriostatic activity on referent strains of S. aureus ATCC 25923, E. coli ATCC 25922 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was assessed by counting the number of colonies after 24h incubation at 37°C using the microbial number method. AMFJ was not bacteriostatic for P. aeruginosa. The microbial number for E. coli was 0 ,3 6xl02 CFU/ml AMFJ and for N. aureus 0,87x10s CFU/ml AMFJ. Gram-positive bacteria should mainly be used as a test for further investigation of the bacteriostatic activity of AMFJ. AMFJ antiviral activity directed to the reproduction in ovo of influenza virus type A (H3N2) was investigated. AMFJ inhibited the reproduction of influenza virus in its initial stages, most probably, due to the formation of complex compounds between the virion, on one hand, and the polyphenols, on the other hand, which influenced the adsorption of the influenza virus on the cell surface.