Exploring the Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Fruit Vinegars: A Study on Phoenix dactylifera and Mango Fruits

Abstract

The escalating challenge of antimicrobial resistance necessitates the investigation of novel, natural therapeutic agents. Fruit vinegars, traditionally valued for their health-promoting properties, represent a promising yet underexplored source of bioactive compounds. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the phytochemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of vinegars produced from Phoenix dactylifera (date) and Mangifera indica (mango) fruits. The fermentation process utilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain SR 128 and Acetobacter aceti strain WI, isolated and characterized from indigenous spoiled fruits. Following submerged fermentation, the resultant vinegars were subjected to detailed physicochemical, nutritional, and phytochemical profiling employing gravimetric and spectroscopic techniques. Antimicrobial potency was evaluated against a panel of clinically relevant pathogens. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test at a 95% confidence interval (α = 0.05). Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of significant levels of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, and glycosides. The vinegar samples exhibited statistically significant (P<0.05) antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, and Candida albicans. The most potent inhibitory effect was consistently observed against E. coli. Comparative assessment indicated that while both vinegars possessed considerable bioactivity, the vinegar derived from P. dactylifera demonstrated marginally superior antimicrobial potency, which is attributed to its distinct phytochemical profile and higher acetic acid yield. The study concluded that the vinegars produced from date and mango possessed significant phytochemical and antimicrobial properties, and the sample produced from PD was slightly better than the sample produced from MI, mostly against Escherichia coli.