Antibacterial Activity of Eugenia uniflora L. Leaf Extract Against Staphylococcus epidermidis: An In Vitro and In Silico Study

Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder commonly associated with Staphylococcus epidermidis. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of 70% ethanolic extract of Eugenia uniflora L. leaves against S. epidermidis. The leaves were extracted by maceration using 70% ethanol and subjected to phytochemical screening. Antibacterial activity was tested using the disk diffusion method at concentrations of 30%, 40%, and 50%. In addition, molecular docking analysis was performed to investigate the potential interactions of literature-reported phytochemicals with the selected bacterial molecular target. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, and steroids. The extract showed concentration-dependent antibacterial activity with inhibition zones of 10.88, 11.60, and 12.98 mm, respectively. Molecular docking suggested a possible interaction between 2,3-di-O-galloyl-D-glucose and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS), with a binding affinity of −8.8 kcal/mol. These findings suggest that E. uniflora leaf extract has potential as a natural antibacterial agent against S. epidermidis.