Phytochemical and antimicrobial profile of black currant berries and leaves

Abstract

The purpose of study was to identify polyphenolic compounds and antimicrobial properties in berries and leaves of black currant (Ribes nigrum L.). Black currant berries and leaves showed different characteristics. Berries had a higher levels of the studied parameters compared to leaves. Berry extracts contained 2.90 to 5.90 times more total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins and gallotannins compared to leaf extracts, and total antioxidant activity was 5.82 times higher in berries than in leaves. The main flavonol found in our sample of black currant berries and leaves was quercetin, followed by myricetin, while kaempferol was present in very small amounts. The most abundant phenolic acid in berry extract was caffeic acid, while leaf extract was dominated by ferulic acid. Microbial properties of extracts were examined using eight selected indicator strains. The tested extracts showed strong antimicrobial activity, ranging from 55.82 to 199.21 μg mL^‒1. The results suggest that berries and leaves of black currant are a good source of polyphenolic compounds and have strong antimicrobial activity.