Antimicrobial and antiradical activity of extracts obtained from leaves of three species of the genus pyrus

Microb Drug Resist. 2014 Aug;20(4):337-43. doi: 10.1089/mdr.2013.0155. Epub 2014 Mar 12.

Abstract

In this study, extracts were obtained from leaves of Pyrus communis L., Pyrus elaeagrifolia Pall., and Pyrus pyrifolia (Bum.) Nak. These extracts were tested for antiradical and antibacterial activity, as well as for the amount of total phenolic compounds, hydroquinone and arbutin. The antiradical activity was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and antibacterial activity with the disk diffusion method. The amount of phenolic compounds was determined using Folin Ciocalteu's phenol reagent, but the amount of hydroquinone and arbutin was measured with high performance liquid chromatography. The strongest antiradical activity was observed for ethyl acetate extract from leaves of P. communis L., and the lowest for the poorly soluble fraction (precipitate) from leaves of P. elaeagrifolia Pall. The highest number of antiradical units per gram of raw materials was noted for leaves of P. communis. The strongest antibacterial activity was measured for ethyl acetate extracts. The calculation of Spearman rank correlation coefficients indicated the existence of a positive correlation between contents of hydroquinone in extracts and their antibacterial activity for almost all investigated bacterial strains. The strains of fungi such as Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were completely resistant to the action of extracts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetates
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / isolation & purification
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Arbutin / isolation & purification
  • Arbutin / pharmacology*
  • Bacillus subtilis / drug effects
  • Bacillus subtilis / growth & development
  • Biphenyl Compounds / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Biphenyl Compounds / chemistry
  • Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / growth & development
  • Helicobacter pylori / drug effects
  • Helicobacter pylori / growth & development
  • Hydroquinones / isolation & purification
  • Hydroquinones / pharmacology*
  • Picrates / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Picrates / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / growth & development
  • Pyrus / chemistry*
  • Solvents
  • Species Specificity
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / growth & development

Substances

  • Acetates
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Hydroquinones
  • Picrates
  • Plant Extracts
  • Solvents
  • ethyl acetate
  • Arbutin
  • 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl
  • hydroquinone