Developmental Stage‐Wise Phytochemical Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Saponin‐Enriched Fractions From Trillium govanianum Rhizomes

Identification and quantification of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants like Trillium govanianum are crucial for ensuring consistent bio‐efficacy. In this study, a total of 16 chemical entities were identified from T. govanianum for the first time through UHPLC–QToF–MS/MS‐based analysis. Phytochemicals from juvenile, young, and mature rhizomes were further fractionated using n ‐hexane, ethyl acetate, n ‐butanol, and water solvents. Solvent‐specific variation was observed in the yields of fractionated phytochemicals, which ranged from 0.45% to 0.64% in ethyl acetate, 1.87% to 4.91% in n ‐butanol, and 7.36% to 9.52% in water. Notably, UHPLC–ELSD quantification revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction contained 0.589–0.876 mg g −1 of specific saponins, with the highest dioscin content (0.470–0.812 mg g −1 ) observed in young rhizomes. n ‐Butanol fraction yielded 7.53–30.75 mg g −1 of saponins, predominantly containing protodioscin (6.28–27.76 mg g −1 ). In silico pharmacological profiling indicated strong antifungal (0.784) and antibacterial (0.602) activities of protodioscin. The crude extract showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 16 µg mL −1 against Candida albicans . Among the fractionated phytochemicals, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antifungal activity, with an MIC of 64 µg mL −1 . These findings highlight the significance of both the type and concentration of bioactive compounds in T. govanianum and are critical for optimizing its therapeutic applications.