IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF AERIAL PARTS OF PRUNUS SPINOSA L. GROWING WILD IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Phytotherapeutical properties of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) are well known and used in Bosnia and Herzegovina traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of different ethanolic extracts from wild blackthorn flowers, leaves and fruits, obtained by microwave-assisted extraction and ultrasound-assisted maceration. The mineral profile has been identified using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Plant samples were collected from three areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In order to detect antioxidant activity of extracts, DPPH assay was carried out. DPPH radical scavenging activity was higher for flower and fruit extract than leaf extracts, regardless of the extraction method used. Ethanolic extracts show significant antimicrobial activity against all analyzed bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antifungal activity against Candida albicans). Blackthorn fruits contained high mass fractions of some essential minerals on dry mass basis, including K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, and Cu. Blackthorn flower, leaf and fruit extracts exhibit a high phenolic content and a high antioxidant activity and can be used as a potent antioxidant in food and pharmaceuticals.