2018 Volume 71 Issue 4 Pages 161-166
Staphylococcus aureus is a resident bacterium in healthy humans. However, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a major causative bacterium of nosocomial infectious diseases. In addition, the enterotoxin produced by S. aureus causes food poisoning. In this study, we searched for components within the juice of aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) that would exert antibacterial activity against the growth of S. aureus. To search these active components, we carried out different extraction methods. We found that the water-soluble components of freeze-dried aronia juice had a strong antimicrobial effect against S. aureus strains. To search for the active ingredients, we carried out fractionation of aronia juice by reverse-phase chromatography and examined the antibacterial effects of fractions eluted with 20-30% acetonitrile. Mass spectrometry identified some low-molecular-weight compounds―chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, and gentisic acid―as components of aronia.
