In vitro and in silico evaluation reveals antibacterial activity and dose-dependent cytotoxicity of Atriplex halimus extracts, highlighting their bioactive polyphenol composition.
Key Points
To determine the phytochemical composition of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of Atriplex halimus and evaluate their antibacterial, cytotoxic, and in silico target-binding characteristics.
Characterized aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts using UHPLC-MS/MS to identify polyphenols, cinnamic acids, and vitamins.
Assessed antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa via agar- and well-diffusion assays, alongside toxicity testing via Artemia salina lethality assays.
Performed exploratory molecular docking of identified constituents against bacterial DNA gyrase and enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase.
Identified 17 compounds in aqueous and 20 in hydroethanolic extracts, with trans-cinnamic acid being the most abundant constituent (73.73 µg/g and 84.02 µg/g, respectively).
Both extracts exhibited modest antibacterial effects against S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 10 to 30 mg/mL, as well as dose-dependent lethality in Artemia salina.
Docking analyses demonstrated that catechin and epigallocatechin present potential binding affinity toward bacterial DNA gyrase and enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase.