Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Feijoa sellowiana fruit

The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidan t activities of an aqueous extract from the tropical Feijoa sellowiana Berg . fruit which is widely used for human food. The extract was tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by a broth dilution test and on h uman whole blood leukocytes, as well as isolated neutrophils using a chemil uminescence (CL) assay. The extract inhibited bacterial growth; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Enterobacter cloacae were the most sensitive. The fruit extract significantly decreased CL emission from human whole blood phagocytes and isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes whether t hey were activated or not by soluble or phagocytic stimuli. F. sellowiana s howed both antibacterial and antioxidant properties and therefore its extra ct might be used as a new multifaceted drug. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.