Objective To explore the chemical composition and function of the fruit of Ilex cornuta var. fortunei for the purpose of development and utilization.

Method Firstly, 1-butanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether were used to extract the active components from the fruit of I. cornuta var. fortunei. Then the free radical scavenging assays against 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) coupled with the filter paper slice bacteriostasis were used to evaluate their antioxidant and bacteriostatic activities. Meanwhile, the chemical components of 1-butanol extraction were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Result The 1-butanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts from the crude methanol extract of the fruits of I. cornuta var. fortunei had significant scavenging effects on ABTS and DPPH free radicals, and the scavenging rate was positively correlated with the extract concentration. The results of antibacterial test showed that the 1-butanol extraction had the best antibacterial effect among all strains tested, and had the strongest bacteriostatic effect among the three extractants. The ethyl acetate extraction and the petroleum ether extract had the best antibacterial effect on Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Proteusbacillus vulgaris. Combining with GC-MS and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology, it was reported for the first time that the fruits of I. cornuta var. fortunei contains chlorogenic acid, a medicinal ingredient with antioxidant and antibacterial activity.

Conclusion In this study, a variety of extractants were used for the first time to extract and identify the components of the fruits of I. cornuta var. fortunei, and the results show that the extracts have significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities..