Investigation of Antimicrobial, DNA Protective and Cytotoxic Activity of Red Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Capitata F. Rubra) Plant

Abstract

The need to search for natural products that offer a safe alternative to drugs and industrial products that often cause side effects and harm human health is growing over the years. In this study, the water and methanol extracts of the anthocyanin-rich red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra) which is available on markets throughout the year, were examined for their antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aereus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and for their antifungal activity on Yarrowia lipolytica, Candida albicans and Candida maltophilia. The DNA protective activity of extracts on the pBR322 plasmid was evaluated by exposing pBR322 to UV and adding hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, the MTT assay was performed on the H1299 lung cancer cell line and the HUVEC cell line as a negative control to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the extracts. The red cabbage extracts were found to have no antibacterial or antifungal activity on the tested microorganisms. The results of DNA protective activity have shown that at a concentration of 50 mg/mL there is a DNA protective activity of the extracts. No effect of the red cabbage extracts on the H1299 cell line as shown by MTT assay results. On the other hand, the decrease in the viability of HUVEC cells started at a concentration of 25 μg/mL and above, reaching 70% at 100 μg/ mL for the water extract and 74 % at 100 μg/ mL for the methanol extract. Further studies to investigate the active components of the DNA protective activity in the red cabbage extracts are required. Further studies are also needed to explore the possibility of incorporating these components in cosmetic products such as sunscreens without causing skin damage.