In Vitro Biological Activities and Phytochemical Analyses of Mespilus germanica L.


Kurtul E., Öztürk Ş., Tekin S., Yılmaz Ö., BAHADIR ACIKARA Ö.

Molecules, cilt.31, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 31 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/molecules31010050
  • Dergi Adı: Molecules
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial activity, bioactive foods, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, Mespilus germanica
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Mespilus germanica L. is one of the two species of the genus Mespilus L., and is distributed in several regions, including Southeastern Europe, Anatolia, the Caucasus, and parts of the Middle East. The fruits of the plant are consumed as food, and the fruits, leaves, and stem bark are traditionally used for various systemic disorders, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract, and skin conditions, as well as menstrual irregularities. In our study, the anti-inflammatory potential and antimicrobial activities of aqueous-methanolic extracts prepared from ripe (MGRF) and unripe fruits (MGUF), leaves (MGL), and stem bark (MGB) of M. germanica were evaluated in vitro. Quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. MGL exhibited the strongest activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 8 µg/mL), while MGB was most active against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 4 µg/mL), and fruit extracts were effective against resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MIC = 16–32 µg/mL). Membrane-protective effects were more pronounced in MGUF and MGB, whereas MGL demonstrated the highest protein stabilization activity. Leaves also contained the highest levels of chlorogenic acid and epicatechin. These findings support the traditional use of M. germanica, though further studies are required to explore its therapeutic potential.