Screening of Phytochemical, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities in Extracts of Some Fruits and Vegetables Consumed in Turkey

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of leaves, seeds and roots of 48 fruits and vegetables belonging to different families were investigated. Also, the phytochemical constituents were established in samples. Antimicrobial activity tests were carried out using agar disc diffusion methods with ten microbial species and only two fungi strains. The extracts showed high antibacterial activity against all the strains tested. It was observed that the plant extracts were more active against Gram-negative bacteria than against Gram-positive bacteria. The antioxidant properties of extracts were appraised by means of different antioxidant tests, including total phenolic content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and metal chelating activities. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, phenols and alkaloids in the extracts. When the protein content in samples was analyzed, the largest values were obtained at 36.80% and 34.89% for Brassica oleracea acephala (Black Cabbage) and Corylus avellana (Hazelnut), respectively.