Bioactive compounds and biological activities of Elaegnus latifolia L.: An underutilized fruit of North-East Himalaya, India

Growing health concerns have led to a substantial increase in the demand for edible plants that provide health benefits over and above basic nutrition. As the demand for food with promising health benefits increases, search for wild edible plants having medicinal and nutritional properties also increases. In view of this, in the present study, Elaeagnus latifolia L., an underutilized wild edible fruit of Sikkim Himalaya, India, has been investigated for minerals, bioactive compounds, and biological activities. The outcomes of the study revealed that potassium (610.13 mg/100 g) is the most abundant mineral found in E. latifolia, followed by phosphorus (228.99 mg/100 g), calcium (46.67 mg/100 g), magnesium (42.82 mg/100 g), and sodium (5.58 mg/100 g) with traces of iron (17.27 mg/100 g), zinc (0.25 mg/100 g), copper (2.59 mg/100 g) and manganese (5.84 mg/100 g). Ascorbic acid, lycopene, and b-carotene were also present in adequate amount. The IC50 values in 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays were recorded as 2394.06 mg ml-1 and 58.41 mg ml(-1), respectively, indicating the good antioxidant potential of this wild edible fruit. Further, fruit extract showed very good antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial pathogen and fungal phytopathogen with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of 170-410mg ml(-1) for bacteria and 30-410mg ml(-1) for fungal pathogens. Three organic acids namely, tartaric, pyruvic, and oxalic acid and four polyphenols gallic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and catechin were quantified using HPLC-PDA analysis. As the fruit extract exhibited good antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, and contains bioactive compounds and minerals, it can be widely used by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries for functional product development. (c) 2021 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Growing health concerns have led to an increased demand for edible plants that provide health benefits. This study investigated the minerals, bioactive compounds, and biological activities of Elaeagnus latifolia L., a wild edible fruit from the Sikkim Himalaya in India. The fruit was found to be rich in minerals and bioactive compounds, and exhibited good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. It has potential applications in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.