Abstract

Although crowberry is a relatively under-utilized wild berry, it holds considerable potential for application in the food and cosmetic industries due to its high phenolic content. In this study, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic activities of crowberry were investigated to shed light on its potential health benefits. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 1,1-dephenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical scavenging, reducing power, and total antioxidant capacity. The crude 70 % ethanol extract, ethyl acetate and butanol fraction of the fruit showed strong antioxidant activity. In addition, the ethyl acetate fraction showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria and significant inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities. These findings suggested that the ethyl acetate fraction of the crude 70 % ethanol extract could serve as a useful source of dietary supplements. Furthermore, the analysis of correlation between the phytochemical content and biological activity of crowberry suggested that phenolic compounds could be the major contributors to the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the fruit extract. Taken together, these results suggested that crowberry fruits could serve as potential antioxidant and antidiabetic supplements.