Phenolic Composition and Biological Properties of Wild and Commercial Dog Rose Fruits and Leaves

Rosa canina L. (dog rose) is a rich source of phenolic compounds that offer great hope for the prevention of chronic human diseases. Herein, wild and commercial samples of dog rose were chemically characterized with respect to their phenolic composition by liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI/MS). Furthermore, in vitro antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity of dog rose fruits and leaves hydromethanolic extracts and infusions were also evaluated. The results revealed that wild and commercial fruits of dog rose are similar in terms of l(+)-ascorbic acid, total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC) and total phenolic acids (TPAC) content, individual phenolic constituents and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the fruits had lower levels of phenolic compounds and also revealed lower biological activity than the leaves. On the other hands, the highest content of TPC, TFC, TPAC, individual phenolic constituents, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) were found in the leaf’s infusions. They were also the only ones to show antibacterial activity. Overall, these finding confirmed usefulness of R. canina L. leaves and fruits as a rich source of bioactive phenolic compounds with potential use in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.