Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of extracts from the seed and pulp of Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) grown in Iran

Food Sci Nutr. 2020 Dec 4;9(2):682-691. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.2031. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the biological activities of the ultrasound-assisted extracts obtained from pulp and seed of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) fruits. To reach this purpose, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total pro-anthocyanin, DPPH radical scavenging activity, rancimat test, as well as antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity test of both jujube pulp and seed extracts were evaluated. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total pro-anthocyanin in pulp extract were higher than those obtained from seed extract. In addition, DPPH radical scavenging activity of pulp extract (IC50 = 53.97 µg/ml) was higher than that of seed extract (IC50 = 88.68 µg/ml). Furthermore, the highest antimicrobial activity was observed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 20 mg/ml) for both seed and pulp extracts. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation on seven cell lines revealed that pulp and seed extracts of jujube had no cytotoxic activity. The present results suggested the promising antioxidant properties of jujube, which can be used in the fabrication of functional bioactive ingredients for different purposes.

Keywords: antimicrobials; antioxidant activity; cytotoxicity; jujube.