3rd TAGRA

Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) is a medicinal fruit rich in phenolic compounds, and their recovery depends on solvent polarity and extraction technique. This study compared maceration with maceration followed by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methanol–water and ethyl acetate. Dried, deseeded fruit powder was extracted under identical conditions, with ultrasonication as the only additional step in the combined method. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined, and antioxidant capacity was assessed by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and Candida albicans, and cholinesterase inhibition was measured by Ellman's method. Differences were analysed by ANOVA with Duncan's test (P < 0.05). DMSO combined with UAE gave the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (P < 0.05) and the highest DPPH and ABTS activities, whereas methanol–water with UAE ranked next and showed the highest FRAP value. Ultrasonication increased antioxidant capacity in all solvents, with the highest absolute values in the polar solvents, while ethyl acetate maceration was lowest in every antioxidant assay (P < 0.05). All extracts inhibited C. albicans and Bacillus cereus, and several extracts were active against every tested organism, with no consistent advantage of ultrasonication. Ethyl acetate extracts showed the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations, and the ethyl acetate ultrasound extract was the strongest inhibitor of both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase despite its weak antioxidant profile.DMSO with UAE was the most effective system for recovering antioxidant compounds, and polar solvents benefited most from ultrasonication, whereas the less polar ethyl acetate extracts showed stronger antimicrobial and anticholinesterase effects. Solvent and technique should therefore be selected according to the target activity, and chromatographic profiling is needed to identify the compounds responsible.