Phytochemical Analysis, OHR-LCMS Assisted Metabolite Profiling, and Antifungal Activity of Natural Products from the Medicinal Plant Tragia Plukentii A.R. sm as Antitinea Agents

Abstract Background Tinea, a fungal infection caused by dermatophytes, affects approximately 25% of the global population, and Trichophyton rubrum is the main causative agent. Although these infections usually appear as superficial skin issues, they can become serious in diabetic or immunocompromised individuals. Despite the traditional antifungal reputation of Tragia plukentii, scientific studies on its phytoconstituent profile via OHR-LCMS analysis and its efficacy against T. rubrum are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of Tragia plukentii against T. rubrum and to assess its potential as an alternative treatment for Tinea pedis. Methods Tragia plukentii plants were authenticated, and healthy leaves were collected and shade-dried for 10‒15 days. The dried leaves were ground into a fine powder and extracted via the Soxhlet method with solvents of various polarities. The physical and chemical properties of the leaf powder were assessed, and the extracts were analyzed for bioactive phytocompounds via OHR-LCMS. The antifungal activity of the extracts against Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC28188) was evaluated using the cell diffusion method, and the efficacy of the extracts was compared with that of the standard drug terbinafine by measuring inhibition zones. Results This study identified 92 and 29 bioactive phytoconstituents in the positive and negative ionization modes of the OHR-LCMS spectrum, respectively, including alkaloids, flavonoids, phytosterols, glycosides, and terpenoids, in glacial acetic acid extract for the first time. The key compounds identified included NP-001787, quercetin, methyl hippuric acid, and xanthohumol, which were validated using mzCloud and the Spider Search Database. Among the six extracts tested, the glacial acetic acid extract showed highly potent antifungal activity with a notably larger inhibition zone of 45 mm, surpassing the standard drug terbinafine (29 mm), and the water (11 mm), cyclohexane (11 mm), and methanol (10 mm) extracts exhibited moderate antifungal activity, whereas the other extracts showed weaker activity. Conclusions This study revealed the significant antifungal potential of Tragia plukentii extracts, particularly the glacial acetic acid extract, which exhibited a 45 mm inhibition zone against Trichophyton rubrum, outperforming the standard antifungal drug terbinafine (29 mm). This study also highlighted the importance of OHR-LCMS in generating a detailed phytochemical profile crucial for identifying bioactive compounds. The trial registration number (TRN): ‘Clinical trial number: not applicable.’