Antiproliferative and antimicrobial activity of anthocyanins from berry fruits after their isolation and freeze-drying

Natural phytonutrients in foods, including anthocyanins, can play an important role in human health. Anthocyanins have been reported to cause many various useful effects, such as reducing cancer cell proliferation, regulating blood pressure, preventing tumor formation, and preventing diabetes. In this study, we aimed to reveal the qualitative anthocyanin content, antiproliferative and antimicrobial effects of different extracts derived from Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium corymbosum, Sambucus nigra and Aronia melanocarpa. The anthocyanin content of the plants mentioned in the study was characterized after the freeze-drying process. MTT assay was chosen to determine the antiproliferative effect of extracts on colorectal cancer cells. Antimicrobial effects of extracts were studied on typical and clinical strains of five different bacteria. As a result, it was determined that the anthocyanin content in the extracts obtained by the freeze-drying method was acceptable, and some extracts were found to have a strong antiproliferative effect on colorectal cancer cells and have an antibacterial effect on typical and clinical strains. Conclusionally, it has been shown that anthocyanins, which are reported to have many beneficial effects, are very promising when prepared with a relatively new method, and this study is a pioneer study for possible future pharmacological and in vivo studies.