The Antibacterial and Antioxidant Characteristics of Berberis vulgaris Fruit Extracts

Background: Foodborne illnesses, which result from contaminated foods, are considered a worldwide public health threat. Some wild fruits may have antioxidant and antibacterial effects. These wild fruits can be used as a food additive, which is used on food as a preservative. Berberis possesses nutritional, health supplements, and antimicrobial properties. Aims of the study: This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant capacities, free radical scavenging activities, and antibacterial activities against some bacterial foodborne illnesses. Material and Methods: For testing antimicrobial properties of the Berberis vulgaris fruits, the water extracts of the fruits were tested against important foodborne pathogenic bacteria using the agar well diffusion method. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay was used to determine the antioxidant activity of Berberis fruit extracts and compared with that of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) through the decrease in absorbance at 517 nm measurement. Results: Berberis vulgaris fruit extract had the highest antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with an inhibition zone of 25 mm. While on Gram,-negative bacteria, a small zone of 8 mm for Salmonella typhimurium, and no zone for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The fruit extract of B. vulgaris showed a high free radical scavenging activity in distilled water (84.79%). Conclusion: This study revealed that wild-type B. vulgaris can be used as an effective natural antimicrobial and antioxidant in the food industry. Barberry extract showed the highest activity against MRSA, while small zones of reduced growth or no zones against the tested Gram-negative bacteria.