In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts From Wild Small Fruits Spread in Bulgaria

The antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the methanol extracts from 5 different wild small berries fruits originating from Bulgaria and collected in 2012 were evaluated against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as the fungus Candida albicans by agar diffusion method. Microbial growth was measured by the microdilution test. The antioxidant potential of the same extracts was determined by two complementary methods - DPPH-radical scavenging test and superoxide-anion scavenging assay. Different bacterial species exhibit varying sensitivities towards total extracts, but all extracts exhibited a strong antioxidant capacity. No antifungal activity was found in all examined berry extracts. In general, the wild Bulgarian berry fruits are a good source of antioxidant compounds with defined antimicrobial properties and can be used as a potential value-added ingredient in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.