Extraction and characterization of bioactive compounds from a newly identified bryophyte, Duthiella declinata, and its antimicrobial potential

Abstract

Bryophytes contain diverse and unique bioactive compounds with significant biological activity. Bryophytes represent a valuable yet underexplored group of plants in medicinal research. The present study analyzes the chemical composition of the bryophyte, Duthiella declinata extracts and evaluates its antimicrobial properties against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The Duthiella declinata extracts demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against both fungal and bacterial pathogens. The highest antibacterial activity was observed in the ethanolic extract, which exhibited an inhibition zone of 20.33 ± 0.58 mm against Bacillus subtilis. The strongest antifungal activity was recorded for the distilled water extract against Aspergillus flavus, with an inhibition zone of 43.33 ± 0.58 mm. Notably, this antifungal activity exceeded that of the nystatin (20.33 ± 0.57 mm), used as a positive control. The LC-MS profile of the methanolic extract revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds, including n-hexadecanoic acid, phytol, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z), and squalene, all known for their antimicrobial and medicinal properties. Among these, phytol and n-hexadecanoic acid were identified as key constituents responsible for the antimicrobial activity. These findings highlight the potential of D. declinata as a novel source of bioactive compounds with promising antimicrobial properties, underscoring its therapeutic importance.