Antioxidant and antibacterial activities on foodborne pathogens of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Moraceae) leaves extracts.

:  Total water extract, ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions from the leaves of Artocarpus heterophyllus were evaluated for phenolic content, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities against some foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) of extract and fractions determined by the agar dilution method were ranged from 221.9 μg/mL for ethyl acetate fraction to 488.1 μg/mL for total extract. In the agar diffusion method the diameters of inhibition were 12.2 for the total extract, 10.7 and 11.5 for ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions, respectively. A. heterophyllus showed significant antioxidant activity tested in different in vitro systems (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and Fe2+ chelating activity assay). In particular, in DPPH assay A. heterophyllus total extract exhibited a strong antiradical activity with an IC50 value of 73.5 μg/mL while aqueous fraction exerted the highest activity in FRAP assay (IC50 value of 72.0 μg/mL). The total phenols content by Folin–Ciocalteau method was determined with the purpose of testing its relationship with the antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Practical Application:  The appearance of food is one of the major determinants of its appeal to consumers and consequently, sales of the product. Microbial contamination and lipid oxidation are the main factors that determine food quality loss and shelf-life reduction. Therefore, preventing microbial contamination and delaying lipid oxidation are highly relevant to food processors. The growth of microorganisms in food products may cause spoilage or foodborne diseases. Oxidative processes in food products lead to the degradation of lipids and proteins which, in turn, contribute to the deterioration in flavor, texture, and color of the products. A. heterophyllus leaves extracts demonstrated interesting biological properties that suggest its use as a new potential source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent.