Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Talisia esculenta leaf extracts

Talisia esculenta , a native species of northeastern Brazil, produces fruits that are commonly consumed fresh and also incorporated into pastries. In traditional medicine, leaf infusions of T. esculenta are used for the treatment of conditions such as hypertension, joint pain, and rheumatism. However, despite its widespread ethnobotanical use, there is still a lack of comprehensive scientific and toxicological data supporting its efficacy. Previous study verified that the aqueous leaf extracts of T. esculenta can have a protective effect against oxidative stress in both 3T3 fibroblast cell cultures and zebrafish models [ 1 ]. Also, the separation of ethyl acetate and n -butanol partitions from water infusion using high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) allowed for the isolation of two flavonoids: Quercitrin (quercetin-3-O-rhamnose) and Rutin [ 2 ]. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of Talisia esculenta leaf infusion and its ethyl acetate and n -butanol partitions. Compared to the infusion, the partitions exhibited two- to three-fold higher antioxidant activity in assays measuring total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and DPPH radical scavenging. In contrast, copper chelation activity seen for the extracts was approximately 50% of that observed for the infusion. Antimicrobial activity was assessed for the partitions and selected isolated biomolecules against Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571, Escherichia coli MG1655, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, Listeria monocytogenes , and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium UK1. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were observed only for S. aureus . Both water infusion and n -butanol partition exhibited MIC and MBC values of 12.5 mg/ mL. The ethyl acetate partition showed activity at 25 mg/mL. Among the isolated compounds, quercitrin (quercetin-3-O-rhamnose) had MIC and MBC values of 12.5 mg/mL, while rutin demonstrated activity at 17 mg/mL. These findings underscore the potential of Talisia esculenta as a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial properties, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus . Further studies are needed to elucidate its mechanisms of action and expand its evaluation to a broader spectrum of microbial pathogens. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany