Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Feijoa sellowiana fruit

The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant 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 human whole blood leukocytes, as well as isolated neutrophils using a chemiluminescence (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 they were activated or not by soluble or phagocytic stimuli. F. sellowiana showed both antibacterial and antioxidant properties and therefore its extract might be used as a new multifaceted drug. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.