Title : Sea buckthorn extracts as potential food additives, assessment of their antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Abstract:
Growing demand for value-added products and functional foods is encouraging manufacturers to consider new additives that can enrich their products and help combat lifestyle diseases. The healthy properties of sea buckthorn have been recognized for centuries. This plant has a high content of bioactive compounds, including antioxidants, phytosterols, essential fatty acids, and amino acids, as well as vitamins C, K, and E. It also has a low content of sugar and a wide spectrum of volatiles, which contribute to its unique aroma. Sea buckthorn shows antimicrobial and antiviral properties, and is a potential nutraceutical or cosmeceutical. It was proven to help treat cardiovascular disease, tumors, and diabetes, as well as gastrointestinal and skin problems. The numerous health benefits of sea buckthorn make it a good candidate for incorporation into novel food products. However, its fruits may be unpleasant to eat raw due to its high acidity and astringency. An alternative to raw fruits may be extracts obtained from them, which contain the accumulation of active compounds in a relatively small mass. Therefore, it can be used in small amounts, so that the additive used will not affect the change of sensory properties.
The research material was sea buckthorn fruits. Ethanol and aqueous extract in a ratio of 1:10 (m/v) was prepared. The extracts were lyophilized and analysed. Anti-radical activities against DPPH• and ABTS•+ were investigated. The antioxidant properties of the obtained extracts relative to Fe2+ ions were also analysed by the FRAP method. The obtained extracts were also tested for microbiological activity. The samples were tested against a set of microorganisms including bacteria: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29737, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC BBA-2660, Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579, and Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 4931 and yeast Candida albicans ATCC 90028. In addition, the identification of analyses by LC-QTOF-MS was performed.
Based on the obtained results, it was found that dry aqueous extracts showed both higher anti-radical and antioxidant activities compared to dry ethanol extracts. However, ethanol extracts were more active in relation to the analysed bacteria and yeast. Sea buckthorn extracts are rich in phenolic compounds, exhibit both anti-radical and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, therefore they can be potential food additives for its fortification and preservation.
