Chemical Characteristics and Biological Potential of Prunus laurocerasus Fruits

Fruits of the Laurocerasus officinalis Roem., known as cherry laurel, are found in the Black Sea region. This study examines the phytochemical characterization, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial potential of cherry laurel’s fruits, variety Novita, cultivated in Southern Bulgaria. The study is significant since it examines the phytochemical profile of this variety’s fruits for the first time. The carbohydrate composition of the fruit was identified. The total polyphenols and flavonoids of five fruit extracts (96% ethanol, 70% ethanol, 50% ethanol, 80% methanol, and water) were determined. The antioxidant potential of these five extracts was evaluated by three methods: DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. We found that the 96% ethanol extract had the highest content of polyphenols and flavonoids and the highest antioxidant activity values by all three methods. A correlation was established between the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity based on the calculated correlation coefficient. The antimicrobial potential of methanolic and aqueous extracts of the fruit of the laurel cherry was evaluated against twenty microorganisms. It was found that the methanolic extracts exhibited moderate to high sensitivity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and five fungi, while water extracts had moderately sensitive activity against Micrococcus luteus only. Based on the results, we can conclude that the fruits demonstrate good antioxidant and antimicrobial potential.