Bioactive Effects of Astragalus aureus Willd. Extracts on Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties and Shelf-Life Extension of Fish Fillets.

This study examines the effectiveness of Astragalus aureus Willd., a medicinal plant with numerous health benefits, in preserving the freshness of fish fillets by inhibiting bacterial growth during storage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study investigating the combined phytochemical, biomedical, and food preservation applications of A. aureus, particularly its use as a natural preservative in fish storage systems. The FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays were used to measure the antioxidant potential of the phenolic and flavonoid compounds present in A. aureus. Using techniques that gauge the ability of the extracts to inhibit the growth of common spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, the extracts' antibacterial properties were evaluated. Moreover, the cytotoxicity potential was also evaluated in vitro and at a single concentration against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines. To assess the shelf-life enhancement potential of the plant extracts as food-preservative agents, the PV, TVB-N, TMA-N, TBARS, and sensory properties of the treated fish fillets were measured. According to the findings, A. aureus extracts showed strong potential for various biomedical applications, including antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as preliminary in vitro cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines. Furthermore, they significantly slowed down bacterial growth and lipid oxidation, thereby maintaining the quality of fish over time compared to untreated fillets. These results demonstrate the promising potential of Astragalus aureus Willd. extracts as natural alternatives to synthetic compounds in both biopharmaceutical and food preservation applications.