Zaruhi Vardanyan, Varduhi Hovsepyan, Hasmik Mkhitaryan
Antioxidant and antibacterial properties of biologically active compounds from Sambucus nigra and Crataegus sanguinea
Abstract The present study investigated the biochemical composition and antimicrobial potential of fruit extracts obtained from medicinal plant species collected from different regions of Armenia. Fresh and dried fruit samples were analysed to determine the contents of free organic acids, including malic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid, using titrimetric and spectrophotometric methods. The antimicrobial activity of aqueous tinctures and hydroethanolic extracts was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus using the agar well diffusion method. The obtained results demonstrated that malic acid predominated in hawthorn samples, whereas citric acid was dominant in elderberry fruits. Higher concentrations of ascorbic acid were detected in hawthorn compared to elderberry. Hydroethanolic extracts exhibited stronger inhibitory effects against the tested microorganisms than aqueous tinctures. Statistical analysis revealed no significant regional differences in the analysed biochemical parameters (p > 0.05). Processed plant materials retained considerable biological activity and exhibited antibacterial effects against the tested microorganisms. The findings indicate that the studied species represent promising natural sources of bioactive compounds with potential pharmacological and nutraceutical applications and support their traditional medicinal use.
Doi https://doi.org/10.35513/Botlit.2026.2.4 Keywords ascorbic acid, citric acid, hydroethanolic extracts, medicinal plants, phenolic compounds, plant extracts
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