Antimicrobial efficacy of different Rosa rugosa parts extracted using aqueous and ethanolic extract

With the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant pathogens, the search for alternative antimicrobial agents has intensified. Bioactive compounds derived from medicinal plants have gained significant attention as they offer a promising natural source of novel antifungal and antibacterial agents with potentially fewer side effects compared to synthetic drugs. Rosa rugosa has been traditionally used in herbal medicine for its diverse therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of aqueous and ethanolic extracts obtained from various parts of R. rugosa, including rose hips, flowers, petals, leaves, stems, and roots. The antimicrobial efficacy of the extracts was assessed using agar well diffusion method under controlled laboratory conditions. To ensure extract purity and enhance the concentration of active compounds, a rotary evaporator was employed for solvent removal. The antimicrobial activity was tested against a panel of microbial strains, including Candida albicans (a common fungal pathogen), four gram-positive bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Listeria monocytogenes), and four gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, and Klebsiella pneumoniae). The results indicated that extracts from different plant parts exhibited varying degrees of antimicrobial activity. R. rugosa leaf extracts demonstrated the highest antimicrobial effectiveness, followed by petal and rose hip extracts, while root extracts showed moderate activity. In contrast, the weakest antimicrobial effects were observed in extracts derived from stems and rose hips. The study also revealed that ethanolic extracts had superior antimicrobial activity compared to aqueous extracts, highlighting the potential of ethanol as a more effective solvent for extracting bioactive compounds. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts exhibited notable antifungal activity against Candida albicans, with ethanolic extracts proving to be more potent in inhibiting fungal growth. Among all tested plant parts, petals exhibited the strongest antifungal properties, suggesting a high concentration of antifungal compounds in these tissues. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the antimicrobial potential of R. rugosa extracts and underscores their potential use in developing natural antimicrobial agents. Further research is needed to isolate and characterise the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the observed effects and to explore their possible applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries.