In vitro assessment of the biochemical activities of leaves extracted from Senna italica against cancerous cell lines and gram-positive bacteria

Abstract

Senna italica is an important herbal plant that is native to Saudi Arabia, and it is traditionally used to cure various diseases. This study was performed to analyze the in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities and phytochemical compounds of different extracts of S. italica. The leaf extract was tested against Bacillus subtilis and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) via the broth dilution method. These extracts presented bactericidal activity, and the methanol extract significantly affected the growth of B. subtilis compared with the ethyl acetate extract (p < 0.05). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged from 48 ± 3 μg/mL to 192 ± 2 μg/mL. Similarly, the methanol extract had relatively high bactericidal activity toward B. subtilis, whereas the ethyl acetate extract had high bactericidal activity towards MRSA. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged between 64 ± 7.5 μg/mL and 256 ± 3 μg/mL. Compared to the methanol extract, the ethyl acetate extract presented the maximum 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity, and it was concentration dependent. The chloroform extract exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against the MDA-MB-231 and HepG2 cell lines, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 292 μg/mL and 784 μg/mL, respectively. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC‒MS) analysis was performed to detect chemical compounds. A total of 11 compounds were detected in the ethyl acetate extract, and 14 compounds were detected in the methanolic extract. Senna italica presents useful bioactive secondary metabolites with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. The results of this study validate the traditional use of S. italica in folk medicine and underscore its potential for further exploration as a source of therapeutic agents.