Assessment of phytochemicals, antioxidant, antibacterial activity, and profiling of functional molecules in a freshwater fern, Salvinia cucullata Roxb.

Abstract

Salvinia cucullata is a freshwater weed available abundantly in nature and also a troublesome aquatic weed globally. This study was conducted to know the chances of using invasive waste fern S. cucullata as a useful product in different biological applications and to explore the functional molecules and the biological properties of ethanolic extracts of S. cucullata (EESC) . The highest yield of total phenolic, flavonoid, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins content and maximum antioxidant activity (Qualitative assay) are observed in ethanolic extract of S. cucullata than other solvents used in this study. Hence, EESC was chosen for further quantitative antioxidant activity. The ROS scavenging activity of EESC was found to be dose-dependent in assays like 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS), hydroxyl, superoxide anion racial scavenging assays, and the ferric reducing power assay. Antibacterial activity of EESC was tested against various gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, where the zone of inhibition was recorded against Bacillus subtilis as high (16.76 mm) and lowest (10.96 mm) on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The presence of many functional groups including alkanes, aldehydes, esters, and amides in EESC is revealed by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The volatile phytochemical compounds including pentacosadiynoic acid, diazoprogesterone, neophytadiene, heptacosane, and vitamin E were revealed by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. These compounds have been identified to hold pharmacological values accountable for the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of EESC. The findings of the present study are a value-added asset in the path to search of unexplored natural resources as biological agents in clinical applications.