title: Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Feijoa sellowiana fruit.
abstract: The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of an aqueous extract from the tropical Feijoa sellowiana Berg. fruit which is widely used for human food. The extract was tested against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria by a broth dilution test and on human whole blood leukocytes, as well as isolated neutrophils using a chemiluminescence (CL) assay. The extract inhibited bacterial growth; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Enterobacter cloacae were the most sensitive. The fruit extract significantly decreased CL emission from human whole blood phagocytes and isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes whether they were activated or not by soluble or phagocytic stimuli. F. sellowiana showed both antibacterial and antioxidant properties and therefore its extract might be used as a new multifaceted drug.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Patologia Generale e Oncologia, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Seconda Università degli Studi, Naples, Italy. vuotto@unina.it
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vuotto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moscatiello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Sole
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castaldo-Cobianchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laghi
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ielpo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000187:drug effects; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008165:Luminol; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000187:drug effects; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008165:Luminol