Correlation between Antimicrobial Activity Values and Total Phenolic Content/Antioxidant Activity in Rubus idaeus L

Area of Science:

• * Phytochemistry
• * Microbiology
• * Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• * Plant by-products are often discarded despite containing valuable bioactive compounds.
• * There is a growing need for natural alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials.
• * Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is a widely cultivated plant with underutilized morphological parts.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To evaluate the antibacterial activity of various Rubus idaeus L. morphological parts.
• * To correlate antibacterial activity with total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity.
• * To explore the potential of raspberry by-products for developing value-added natural products.

Main Methods:

• * Preparation and extraction of different raspberry plant parts (leaves, inflorescences, fruits, roots, seeds).
• * Determination of antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria using standard assays.
• * Measurement of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the extracts.

Main Results:

• * Raspberry leaves, inflorescences, and fruits exhibited significant antibacterial activity against tested Gram-positive bacteria.
• * Root and seed extracts demonstrated the lowest antibacterial efficacy.
• * Correlations between antimicrobial activity and phenolic content were generally moderate, weak, or very weak.

Conclusions:

• * Raspberry morphological parts, particularly leaves, inflorescences, and fruits, are promising sources of natural antibacterials.
• * The findings support the substitution of synthetic antimicrobials with raspberry-derived natural products.
• * Optimized processing of raspberry by-products offers economic and environmental benefits through novel product development.