Wild Italian Prunus spinosa L. Fruit Exerts In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity and Protects Against In Vitro and In Vivo Oxidative Stress.

Luisa Pozzo,Andrea Vornoli,Francesco Vizzarri,Stefania Frassinetti,Clara Maria Della Croce,Marisa Palazzo,Vincenzo Longo,Július Árvay,Rossella Russo,Donato Casamassima

doi:10.3390/foods9010005

Abstract

Polyphenol-rich foods could have a pivotal function in the prevention of oxidative stress-based pathologies and antibacterial action. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity, as well as the in vitro and In Vivo antioxidant capacities of wild Prunus spinosa L. fruit (PSF) from the southeast regions of Italy. The total phenolic content (TPC) was quantified, and the single polyphenols were analyzed by HPLC-DAD, showing high rutin and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid levels, followed by gallic and trans-sinapic acids. PSF extract demonstrated antimicrobial activity against some potentially pathogenic Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Besides, we investigated the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and the hemolysis inhibition of PSF extract on human erythrocytes, evidencing both a good antioxidant power and a marked hemolysis inhibition. Furthermore, an In Vivo experiment with oxidative stress-induced rats treated with a high-fat diet (HFD) and a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) demonstrated that PSF has a dose-dependent antioxidant capacity both in liver and in brain. In conclusion, the wild Italian Prunus spinosa L. fruit could be considered a potentially useful material for both nutraceutical and food industries because of its antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.

Highlights

Considering that traditional foods are increasingly believed healthy and wholesome, food manufacturers are developing new food products returning to natural products and traditional recipes that will be attractive to the widest potential consumers [1,2]Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.), which belongs to the Rosaceae family, is a perennial plant originally growing in temperate continental climate of the northern hemisphere, widespread in the Mediterranean countries and in the southeast regions of Italy
Any other results have been found about total phenolic content of blackthorn fruit on dry weight, but some authors reported that TPC in blackthorn fruit on fresh weight ranged from 0.42–4.13 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g [21,22,23]
Our findings indicated that wild Italian blackthorn fruit is rich in polyphenol compounds, shows an in vitro antioxidant activity, and exhibits a selective growth inhibition of some potentially pathogenic bacteria strains

Summary

Introduction

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.), which belongs to the Rosaceae family, is a perennial plant originally growing in temperate continental climate of the northern hemisphere, widespread in the Mediterranean countries and in the southeast regions of Italy. It is used for treatment of many diseases due to its diuretic, spasmolytic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities [3]. L. fruit (PSF) is used for the production of various traditional jams and beverages such as juice, wine, tea, and distillates in food industry [4] It contains substantial quantities of phenolic antioxidants, including, in particular, flavonols, phenolic acids, and coumarin derivatives [5]. Lipid peroxidation, chronic inflammation, and oxidative damage to DNA may be prevented by polyphenols, which results in vasodilatory, vasoprotective, anti-atherogenic, antithrombotic, and anti-apoptotic effects, as free radical scavengers, metal chelators, inhibitors of pro-inflammatory enzymes, and modifiers of cell signaling pathways [8]

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