Jujube fruit extracts show promise fighting germs and oxidation
Rahimi A, Khibech O, Kadda S, Yahyaoui MI, Bouhrim M
Medicinal Plants
The jujube tree many gardeners grow for its sweet, date-like fruit turns out to pack antibacterial and antioxidant compounds strong enough that researchers are now mapping exactly which molecules do the work.
Researchers took two kinds of jujube fruit, a familiar backyard and orchard tree, and broke them down into different chemical fractions using solvents like acetone, methanol, and hexane. They found some fractions were loaded with antioxidant compounds and could slow the growth of bacteria and fungi, though not powerfully enough yet to replace real antibiotics. It's an early step toward figuring out which specific fruit compounds might one day show up in natural food preservatives or health supplements.
Key Findings
Z. lotus acetone fraction had the highest phenolic content (124.33 mg GAE/g) and strongest antioxidant activity (ABTS IC50 = 0.19 mg/mL)
Z. jujuba acetone fraction showed the lowest antibacterial MIC (0.415 mg/mL) against S. aureus, M. luteus, and P. aeruginosa
Molecular docking and 100 ns simulations identified stable compound-protein interactions with binding energies up to -46.06 kcal/mol, flagging candidates for future enzyme testing
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists tested jujube fruit extracts (Ziziphus lotus and Ziziphus jujuba) and found that certain fractions, especially acetone extracts, are rich in antioxidant compounds and can inhibit bacteria and fungi at moderate concentrations, hinting at future uses in natural preservatives or health products.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Polarity-resolved Ziziphus fruit extracts as multifunctional leads: GC-MS and UHPLC-MS/MS profiling, MIC-based bioactivity, and MD/MM/GBSA support.
Antimicrobial resistance and oxidative-stress-associated disorders motivate the search for edible, multi-component botanical matrices with measurable redox and anti-infective potential. Here, fruit...
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Ziziphus lotus is a small deciduous tree in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, including the Sahara in Morocco and also Somalia. It is one of several species called "jujube", and is closely related to Z. jujuba, the true jujube.