Physiological Activities of Rubus coreanus Miquel

Abstract

Physiological activities of unripened fruit, ripened fruit and leaf of Rubus coreanus Miquel were examined. Total polyphenolic compound content, electron donating ability (EDA), nitrite scavenging activity and SOD-like activity were examined using extracts of Rubus coreanus Miquel extracted with various extraction solvents such as 80% methanol, 75% acetone and water. The leaf part of Rubus coreanus Miquel included higher contents of total polyphenol compound compared with those of the other sample groups, unripened and ripened fruit. The total polyphenol compound content of leaf (100 g, dry base) extracted with 75% acetone showed the highest value of . As for EDA, unripened fruit showed over 90% of electron donating ability. No significant difference in EDA was found among the extracts prepared with various extraction solvents, 80% methanol, 75% acetone and water. Rubus coreanus Miquel extracts showed different nitrite scavenging abilities under different pH conditions. The nitrite scavenging abilities at pH 1.2 were in the range of whereas they were at pH 4.2 and at pH 6.0. The high levels of SOD-like activities were found in ripened fruit when different extracting methods were applied. Agar diffusion tests were accomplished to examine the antimicrobial activities of the extracts prepared from unripened fruit, ripened fruit and leaf with various extraction solvents. All of the extracts revealed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus whereas no antimicrobial activities were observed against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus.