Strobilanthes pulneyensis , a member of the family Acanthaceae, was systematically evaluated for its phytochemical composition and pharmacological potential. Quantitative analysis of the leaf extract revealed high total phenolic content (272.2 ± 0.6 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (151.0 ± 1.0 mg RE/g), indicating a rich presence of bioactive secondary metabolites. GC-MS profiling identified 25 major phytoconstituents, predominantly N-hexadecanoic acid and glycerin, while Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed 15 functional groups associated with phenolic, carboxylic, and alkene moieties. The extract exhibited significant antibacterial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus (17 ± 0.1 mm) and Escherichia coli (15 ± 0.3 mm). Antioxidant assays demonstrated strong free radical scavenging activity, with inhibition percentages of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (61.5%), 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) (59.1%), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) (56.2%), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (55.3%). In addition, the extract showed notable anti-inflammatory effects, evidenced by 62.5% inhibition of protein denaturation and 68.4% erythrocyte membrane stabilization. Anti-proliferative studies against A431 human skin carcinoma cells revealed 59.9% growth inhibition. Molecular docking further indicated strong binding affinity toward the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), suggesting a potential mechanism for its anticancer activity. The novelty of this study lies in highlighting S. pulneyensis as a promising source of bioactive compounds exhibiting antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, supported by in vivo pharmacological and toxicity evaluations, thereby underscoring its potential for biomedical applications.
Kirubakaran et al. (Mon,) studied this question.