Screening of Biological Activities of Ligustrum lucidum Berries: A Comparative Approach

Ligustrum lucidum Aiton including its berries have been used in Chinese Traditional Medicine for around 2000 years. Scientific studies developed on the last decades provided evidence on some biological properties of these products, mostly from particular geographic origins. In the present study, L. lucidium berries harvested in two regions of Portugal were considered. Extracts obtained with 100% ethanol, with 50% ethanol/water (v/v) and in boiled water were prepared and several parameters were assessed: antioxidant activity (using two methodologies), antimicrobial activity and phenolic profile. Results suggest that the different biological activities varied according to the region where samples were collected but also with the extraction methodology. Superior antioxidant potential was observed in water extracts, according to both assays, while for the remaining activities the ethanol 50% extracts had the highest activity. In these regions, the L. lucidum berries showed promising biological activities and may be interesting sources of compounds for the development of new drugs for diseases where oxidant reactive species and enzymatic disruption are believed to play a role as well as adjuvants for current antibiotic therapy.