Antioxidant Capacity and Some Phytochemical Properties of Cornus mas and Rosa canina Fruits

Abstract

Cornus mas L. (Cornaceae) and Rosa canina (Rosaceae) are plant species growing in Turkey naturally. The fruits of both plants are rich in anthocyanins, phenolics and vitamins and used for production of traditional foods such as syrup, juices, jam and marmalade. The antimicrobial activity and some bioactive contents of extracts obtained from fresh and dried fruits of C. mas and R. canina were investigated in this study. Also, as a result of GC-MS analysis of fresh and dried fruit extracts of C. mas and R. canina, varying numbers of fatty asits were determined. The major fatty asits in the extracts of both species were determined as varying proportions of palmitic, oleic and linoleic asit. Bioactive substance contents and antimicrobial activities were varied according to the extraction method. The methanolic extraction (dried fruits) so was more productive than that of water (fresh fruits). Antimicrobial activities of the plant samples were tested by well diffusion assay using 8 bacteria and one yeast. According to the results, both of the plant samples showed an inhibition on whole test microorganisms in varying range but B. subtilis and MRSA.