Biological activity of Mesua ferrea (Nageswar) seed extracts: An in vitro and in silico study

Abstract

Overuse of antimicrobial drugs has led to selective resistance to existing antibiotics, necessitating the development of different and improved alternatives. Natural substances, particularly those derived from plants, are well-known for their therapeutic characteristics, including antibacterial and antifungal properties. Over the last decade, several pharmacological investigations on medicinal plants have been carried out based on their traditional uses in complementary therapies. In our current study, we have evaluated the pharmacological properties of Mesua ferrea seed ethanolic extract. To test their antioxidant properties, a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH)-radical scavenging activity test was performed. Using the agar well diffusion method, the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts of M. ferra seed was investigated against four bacteria such as Salmonella typhi, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The ethanol extract of M. ferra seed was shown to be efficient against gram positive and gram-negative bacteria in this investigation, although Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli. Demonstrated resistance to this extract. The results revealed that gram positive bacteria were more sensitive than gram negative bacteria to the ethanolic extract of M. ferra seed at all concentrations utilized (from 20 μL to 100 μL). The lowest inhibition zone was produced by a dose of 20 μL with an inhibition zone equal to 11 mm and 14.33 mm, while the maximum inhibition zone was produced by a high concentration of 100 μL with an inhibition zone 19.33 mm and 18 mm against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) was performed to identify the compounds in the extract to determine their pharmacological effects and then we performed in-silico experiments to determine the biological activity of the compounds. We have concluded from the study that M. ferrea seed can be a potential source for lead compound development.