Bindu Alex, Soumya SM and Simon Lester Pereira

Plant-derived antioxidants are recognized for their ability to scavenge free radicals and mitigate the adverse effects of conventional tumour therapies. Combinatorial approaches integrating phytochemicals offer promising strategies against drug resistance and complex diseases. The present study explores the alkaloid fraction of Simarouba glauca DC. Leaf methanol extract, focusing on its antimicrobial and germination inhibition potential. Crude extracts were prepared by Soxhlet extraction and phytochemical screening using Mayer’s and Dragendorff’s tests confirmed abundant alkaloids. TLC analysis (toluene:ethyl acetate:methanol:water; 30:30:15:1) revealed orange bands at Rf 0.61 and 0.96 with Dragendorff’s reagent. GC-MS analysis identified diverse phytochemicals, including the indole alkaloid 2-methoxy-6H-indolo [3,2,1-de] [1,5] naphthyridin-6-one (RT 4.37 min). Antibacterial activity was evaluated by the Disc Diffusion Method against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. The crude extract exhibited the highest inhibition against B. subtilis (24 mm), while the alkaloid fraction inhibited S. typhimurium (8 mm) and P. aeruginosa (10 mm), with no effect on E. coli or B. subtilis. Germination assays on mung bean seeds demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition, with complete suppression at 250 mg/mL. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential cytotoxic, antimicrobial and anticancer activities of S. glauca alkaloids, supporting further pharmaceutical exploration.

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