Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Secondary Metabolites from White Rose Flower

Low-molecular-weight secondary metabolites from plants play an important role in reproductive processes and in the defense against environmental stresses or pathogens. In the present study, we isolated various volatiles and phenolic compounds from white Rosa rugosa flowers, and evaluated the pharmaceutical activities of these natural products in addition to their ability to increase survival in response to environmental stress and pathogen invasion. The DPPH and hydroxyl radical-mediated oxidation assay revealed that the white rose flower extract (WRFE) strongly scavenged free radicals in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, WRFE inhibited the growth of E. coli and fatally attacked those cells at higher concentration (>0.5 mg/mL). FITC-conjugated Annexin V stain provided further evidence that WRFE had strong antimicrobial activity, which may have resulted from a cooperative synergism between volatiles (e.g. 1-butanol, dodecyl acrylate and cyclododecane) and phenolic compounds (e.g. gallic acid) retained in WRFE. In conclusion, secondary metabolites from white rose flower hold promise as a potential natural source for antimicrobial and non-chemical based antioxidant agents.