Phytochemical Profiling and Evaluation of Bioactivities of Debregeasia Salicifolia Extracts

Abstract

Debregeasia salicifolia, an ethnobotanically important shrub native to the Kashmir region, was investigated for its phytochemical composition and associated bioactivities. Crude extracts were prepared using solvents of increasing polarity, among which ethanol and methanol yielded the highest extraction efficiencies. The ethanol extract demonstrated pronounced antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, exhibiting the maximum inhibition zone (14 mm) against Bacillus subtilis. Antioxidant potential, evaluated through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays as well as reducing power analysis, revealed strong activity, with the methanol extract showing the highest inhibition percentages (DPPH: 87.62%; ABTS: 88.85%). Notably, the ethanol extract exhibited significant anti-leishmanial activity, achieving 71.3% inhibition against promastigote and 68.2% inhibition against amastigote forms of Leishmania tropica. Furthermore, the ethanol extract showed marked inhibitory effects on carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, with ?-amylase and ?-glucosidase inhibition values of 80.21% and 74.79%, respectively, indicating promising antidiabetic potential. GC–MS analysis of the ethanol extract led to the identification of twelve bioactive compounds, among which 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-methyl ester was the predominant constituent. Molecular docking studies further supported the experimental findings by revealing strong binding interactions between the identified phytochemicals and key target proteins involved in antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-leishmanial, and antidiabetic pathways. Collectively, these results substantiate the traditional medicinal relevance of D. salicifolia and underscore its potential as a valuable source of bioactive compounds for future therapeutic development.