Primary GC-MS chemical analysis of alcoholic extract of Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. and screening of their antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic characteristics

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The chemical constituents of the methanolic extract of Emex spinosa shoots were primarily characterized by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS), forty components were identified. The major components were ethyl 2-hydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylate (10.11%), 3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran-4-one (38.09%), 2-propyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-ol (5.75%), oleic acid (8.02%), and methyl (E)-octadec-16-enoate (5.91%). The results of antioxidant activity of leaves extract presented the most potent activity (IC₅₀ = 29.92 mg mL^-1), followed by stem extract (IC₅₀ = 41.17 mg mL^-1), and root extract (IC₅₀ = 50.14 mg mL^-1), comparable to that of the standard ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 13.3 mg mL^-1). The antibacterial results revealed that leaves extract is the most potent (22.0 mm) antibacterial agent against the variety of the tested species. Stem and leaves extracts are more potent (20 and 20 mm, respectively) than azithromycin (13.0 mm) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa species, while root and leaves extracts displayed potent antibacterial activities than tetracycline (10 mm). The most potent activity was recorded for leaves extract against Bacillus cereus species (22.0 mm) higher than the standard antibiotics (5.0-20.0 mm). The cytotoxic activity of E. spinosa MeOH extract specified the EC₅₀ value at 2.68 µg mL^-1 attended by a cytotoxic effect on HepG2 cell lines with the effective dose of the plant extract at a higher concentration.

KEY WORDS: Emex spinosa, GC-MS, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Cytotoxic activities

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(1), 101-114.                                                             

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i1.9