From Tradition to Science: Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Cornus sanguinea L. subsp. australis (C. A. Mey.) Jáv. Extracts

The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of leaf and fruit extracts from Cornus sanguinea L. subsp. australis (C. A. Mey.) Jáv. were comprehensively evaluated. Plant material was collected from the Bahçesaray district of Van province in Eastern Anatolia, Türkiye, a region characterized by semi-arid climatic conditions and high altitude. Antioxidant activity was measured using DPPH activity and CUPRAC capacity assays, as well as total phenolic and flavonoid content analyses. Antibacterial activity was tested using disk diffusion, well diffusion, and microdilution methods against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram-positive), and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative). Leaf extracts contained significantly higher total phenolic and flavonoid content than fruit extracts and demonstrated stronger antioxidant capacity. In antibacterial assays, leaf extracts showed a pronounced inhibitory effect on Gram-positive bacteria but limited activity against E. coli. Microdilution analyses indicated that fruit extracts had notable antibacterial activity, especially against S. aureus and S. epidermidis, with low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Variations in MIC results between diffusion-based methods were attributed to differences in chemical composition, molecular weight, and diffusion capacity of the extracts. These findings suggest that C. sanguinea leaf and fruit tissues are promising natural resources for wound healing and dermatological applications due to their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The results underscore the pharmaceutical potential of plants grown under environmental stress and provide a strong foundation for further phytochemical and in vivo research.