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Plant extracts are a source of valuable ingredients that can be used in many industries. This paper presents research on the content of selected bioactive compounds in extracts obtained from various plant materials. Raw materials have a documented use in traditional medicine not only in Poland. The tested plants were: bitter melon (fruit), elderberry (flowers, fruit, leaves), wild rose (fruit, flesh, seeds), mountain ash (fruit), guelder rose (fruit), and sea buckthorn (fruit, leaves, pomace). The main goal of these tests is to indicate the potential raw materials that may constitute an alternative source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial activity. The plant material was tested for the content of bioactive antioxidant compounds and possible antimicrobial activity. The content of polyphenols (phenolic acids and flavonoids) was analyzed using UPLC/PDA, sterols, organic acids, and other bioactive compounds. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. The total free phenolic acids (TPC) and total free flavonoids (TFC) of all plant raw materials was varied and ranged from 0.21 (mg RUTE/1 g of extract) to 38.30 mg RUTE/1 g of extract) for TFC. The concentration of sterols was, on average, about 10 mg/1 g of extract. The value of approx. 20 mg/1 g of the extract was recorded for bitter melon and beach rose. The content of organic acids was about 1.5 mg/1 g of the extract to even 13 mg/1 g of the extract for sea buckthorn berries. The most sensitive to the extracts’ activity were the following bacteria: M. luteus, P. mirabilis, P. fragii, S. enteritidis, and E. coli. The tested plant materials can be used in various industries as a source of bioactive compounds of an antibacterial nature. Full article

Elderberries are appreciated for their antioxidant properties. Sambucus nigra L. is an extremely abundant plant in the wild flora of Romania, but it is underutilized. Elderberry is used in modern and traditional medicine due to the complex chemical composition of the fruit. The content of phenolic compounds is high (516–8974 mg/100 g DW), of which the most abundant are anthocyanins. Phenolic compounds are known for their beneficial effects on the body. Numerous studies have demonstrated the antioxidant capacity, antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties of the fruit. It is considered that most of the therapeutic properties of elderberries can be correlated with the antioxidant activity they have. S. nigra fruits are also used in the food industry. Some studies have shown that the therapeutic properties of elderberries can also be found in the products obtained from them. Therefore, this review aimed to describe the chemical composition of elderberries and products obtained from them, the positive effects on the body, and the methods by which the bioactive compounds can be extracted from the fruits and analyzed. This manuscript is useful for extraction optimization and characterization in order to valorize new functional foods, food supplements, and also in new pharmaceutical products. Full article

Due to the health-promoting properties of elderberry fruits, which result from their rich chemical composition, this raw material is widely used in herbal medicine and the food industry. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the antibacterial activity of the elderberry fruit extracts. The research showed that the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the extracts determined their antibacterial activity. The research showed that the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the extracts determined their antibacterial activity. The following phenolic acids were predominant: chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, and t-cinnamic acid. Their average content was, respectively, 139.09, 72.84, 51.29 mg/g extract. Rutin and quercetin (their average content was 1105.39 and 306.6 mg/g extract, respectively) were the dominant flavonoids. The research showed that the elderberry polyphenol extracts exhibited activity against selected strains of bacteria within the concentration range of 0.5–0.05%. The following bacteria were the most sensitive to the extracts: Micrococcus luteus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas fragii, and Escherichia coli. Of the compounds under analysis, apigenin, kaempferol and ferulic, protocatechuic, and p-coumarin acids had the greatest influence on the high antibacterial activity of elderberry extracts. The results of the microbiological and chemical analyses of the composition of the extracts were analyzed statistically to indicate the bioactive compounds of the greatest antimicrobial significance. Full article