Phytochemical and antioxidant analysis of musky smelling Dendrobium moschatum and screening of its antibacterial potential

In the realm of floriculture, orchids have attracted a lot of interest for their alluring and distinctive morphological looks. In the present study, the musky smelling orchid Dendrobium moschatum was screened for its phytochemical and antioxidant property analysis followed by characterization and isolation of bioactive compounds. The plant contained high amount of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of 21.86 ± 0.44 and 12.52 ± 0.23 respectively. The acetone extract of leaf of D. moschatum was evaluated using GC-MS, TLC and NMR spectroscopy and based on these, 2H-1-benzopyran-2-one also termed as coumarin was isolated as the main bioactive compound. The crude extract of the species showed satisfactory results by inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis at MIC 0.78 mg/mL, but not so effective against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. This signifies that the plant is valuable source of essential bioactive compounds with potential antibacterial activity which is not only advantageous for its conservation in natural habitat but also for the development of therapeutic alternates against common bacterial infections.