Isolation and characterization of a novel glycoside from the inner bark of sclerocarya birrea: insights into antibiotic and anticancer activity.

Phytochemical analysis of the dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) extract from Sclerocarya birrea inner bark led to the identification of three compounds: a novel glycoside, 3α-sorbithoxyglucose (1), and two known compounds, retusasterol (2) and β-sitosterol-3-O-D-glycoside (3), isolated for the first time from this plant. Structural elucidation via NMR confirmed their identities. Cytotoxicity studies against MCF7 breast cancer and DU145, PC3, LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines revealed that compounds 1 and 2 lacked inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, while retusasterol exhibited cytotoxicity with CC₅₀ values of 38 μg/mL (DU145), 40 μg/mL (PC3), and 32 μg/mL (LNCaP). However, further analysis indicated that retusasterol promoted tumour cell proliferation. Antimicrobial screening of 3α-sorbithoxyglucose against Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed MIC values of 15.625-250 μg/mL, suggesting potential as an antimicrobial agent compared to standard antibiotics.