Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) leaf extracts

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to establish the chemical profile of Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) leaf extracts, obtained by conventional maceration technique, and to examine its antimicrobial activity. The identification and quantification of the extract compounds were done using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography, with a diode array detector coupled with triple‐quadrupole mass spectrometer and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry techniques. Thirty‐one polyphenolic compounds were detected and identified in the ethanolic extracts, whereby 5‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid was found to be the dominant compound. Among other compounds, pentacosane and palmitic acid were the most abundant compounds in the dichloromethane extract. The preliminary antimicrobial activity screening shows that Gram‐positive bacteria tend to be more sensitive to the investigated extracts. The highest antimicrobial activity was determined against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 35152. From these results, Osage orange leaves can be considered as plant material with significant antimicrobial properties.