Composition, antimicrobial activity, and antiproliferative capacity of anthocyanin extracts of purple corn (Zea mays L.) from China

The composition, antimicrobial activity, and antiproliferative capacity of the anthocyanin extracts from five purple corn hybrids (Zea mays L.) from China were evaluated. The total phenolic content and total anthocyanin content of the anthocyanin extract from Chinese purple corn (Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, China) (EZPC) were higher than that of the other four hybrids. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of EZPC was stronger than that of the other four hybrids against Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Furthermore, EZPC showed the antiproliferative capacity against the colon-cancer-cell HT-29 in a dose dependent manner with IC50 of 0.525 mu g/mL of the anthocyanin content. The antimicrobial activity and antiproliferative capacity of EZPC were related to both its high anthocyanin content and anthocyanin composition (cyanidin derivatives especially). It is for the first time that the composition, antimicrobial activity, and antiproliferative capacity of EZPC were evaluated.