Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivity of Ultrasound‐Assisted Ethanolic Extract of Ceratopteris Thalictroides (L.) Brongn: Integrated In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation of Antibacterial, Anticancer, and Anti‐Inflammatory Studies

Ferns and allies are underexplored sources of bioactives. This study evaluates the phytochemical composition and bioactivities of the ultrasound-assisted ethanolic (CT-UAE) extract of the dietary fern Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn (C. thalictroides). The extract contained notable levels of total phenolics (4.34 ± 0.16 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (3.74 ± 0.08 mg QE/g), and alkaloids (1.27 ± 0.15 mg AE/g). Volatile and semi-volatile compounds were identified using GC-MS/MS, while LC-MS/MS profiling revealed non-volatile and polar metabolites. The extract exhibited strong antibacterial activity, producing inhibition zones of 22 ± 0.29 mm (S. aureus), 22 ± 0.89 mm (B. subtilis), 24 ± 0.44 mm (E. coli), and 14 ± 0.72 mm (K. pneumoniae), supported by MIC values of 60-90 µg/mL. Anti-inflammatory assays, including HRBC membrane stabilization and egg albumin denaturation, revealed IC₅₀ values of 426.81 ± 1.37 µg/mL and 448.35 ± 0.04 µg/mL. The extract also showed cytotoxic activity against A431 carcinoma cells, with an IC₅₀ of 57.61 µg/mL. Docking studies showed that quercetin has the strongest molecular interactions with FimH (-7.02 kcal/mol), EGFR kinase (-7.13 kcal/mol), and COX-2 (-8.91 kcal/mol). These results indicate C. thalictroides as a promising source of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer compounds for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical use.