GC-MS Analysis of Phytoactive Compounds, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Citrullus lanatus Seeds

Abstract

The current study investigated the therapeutic potential of Citrullus lanatus seeds which are commonly discarded after eating the fruit. In this day and age, plant secondary metabolites are preferred therapeutic agents to manage a variety of diseases and disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the bioactive secondary metabolite profile of Citrullus lanatus seeds by investigating total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant potential, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of bioactive compounds and anti-bacterial properties of four different crude extracts. Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, steroids, tannins, saponins, phytosterols, terpenoids, and glycosides were revealed in the seeds after qualitative phytochemical examination utilizing several solvents of varying polarity and established techniques of analysis. DPPH radical scavenging assay was used to assess the antioxidant potential and the total flavonoid and phenolic contents in seed extracts were determined using the spectrophotometric method. Methanolic extract revealed higher extractive yield, antioxidant potential, a higher total phenolic content (132.68 ± 0.861 mg of GAg), and higher total flavonoid content (48.13 ± 0.451 mg of Qg) as compared to other extracts. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of all four seed extracts revealed the presence of 27 high and low molecular weight chemical entities in toto with varying amounts. These bioactive chemical substances have been revealed to be physiologically significant and essential from a pharmaceutical standpoint. This research demonstrates that the Citrullus lanatus seeds are high in bioactive secondary metabolites that are beneficial to human health, have a high antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial action against certain bacterial strains, indicating that these seeds have a lot of therapeutic value.