Anticancer, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. Leaf Extract

This study was conducted to determine and compare the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial effects of spindle leaves of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (E. angustifolia) (oleaster) leaves.

Total phenolic content was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, phenolic compound analysis by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and antimicrobial effect by the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) method. The free radical scavenging activity was determined by the (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) DPPH method, the free radical scavenging activity was determined by the ABTS method, and cytotoxicity assays were performed by the MTT method in human retinal epithelium cells (RPE-1), human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS), and prostate cancer cells (DU-145) cell lines.

High amounts of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and o-coumaric acid were identified as phenolic compounds. E. angustifolia was found to have a good antioxidant capacity and high free radical scavenging capacity. In this study, for the first time, E. angustifolia leaf extract was used to investigate cytotoxic effects on human retinal epithelium (RPE-1), human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS), and prostate cancer (DU-145) cells and antimicrobial effects on Listeria monocytogenes American Type Culture Collection (ATTC) 7644, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC 11774, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 microorganisms. The highest cytotoxic effect was observed in the DU-145 cell line, and the highest antimicrobial effect was observed in Listeria monocytogenes ATTC 7644 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. The leaf extract of the plant contains some important phenolic compounds and has high free radical scavenging capacity, a good anticancer effect, and effective antimicrobial activity on yeast species such as C. albicans.

Our study will contribute greatly to the search for anticancer and antimicrobial agents, especially from a pharmacological perspective, by examining biological activity using three different methods.