Antioxidant and Biological Activities of Fresh and Dried Apricot Extracts Obtained by Cold Soaking and Ultrasonic Extraction

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant (AA), antibacterial, and antifungal activity of fresh and pre-treated apricot extracts, dried by microwave at different powers (200, 400, and 800 W), extracted by the cold soaking method, and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Biological activity (bacterial and fungal) was estimated by agar disk diffusion test against four bacterial strains ( Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sp.), and two fungal strains ( Candida spp. and Geotrichum capitatum ). Methanolic extracts of apricot fruits: fresh, dried processed