DNA protection, antioxidant, antibacterial and enzyme inhibition activities of heartwood and sapwood extracts from juniper and olive woods

In this study, DNA protective, antioxidant, antibacterial and enzyme inhibiting properties of methanol extracts obtained from juniper and olive heartwood and sapwood were determined. These extracts were tested by five antioxidant methods (DPPH scavenging, FRAP, CUPRAC, metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum). Generally, heartwood extracts of both species are more efficient for DPPH radical scavenging activity, cupric ion reducing activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power and metal chelating activity than sapwood extracts. When compared to heartwood extracts, sapwood extracts have larger inhibition zone in disk diffusion test. In addition, all extracts showed high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. DNA protection of both extracts had a capacity to inhibit the DNA damage arisen from Fenton's reagent. The highest DNA protective activity was observed in juniper sapwood extract with 84%. Furthermore, other extracts also indicated more than 60% of DNA protective activity. Olive wood extracts displayed the strongest enzyme inhibition activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Although juniper heartwood extracts showed highest anti-amylase, anti-glucosidase and anti-tyrosinase effects, they had no ability for inhibition BChE. The methanol extracts of olive samples demonstrated the most antioxidant activity (DPPH, CUPRAC and FRAP). In addition, juniper samples showed the highest anti-amylase, anti-tyrosinase, metal chelating and DNA protective activity. According to these results, the extracts of juniper and olive wood can be considered as a source of natural bio active agents for dietary, pharmacological and medicinal applications. This research will also serve as a base for future studies about biological activities of wood extracts.