Phytochemical Profile and Bioactivity of Acalypha indica Aerial Methanolic Extract: Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anticancer Properties

Abstract

Acalypha indica, a plant used in traditional medicine, was evaluated for its phenolic composition and bioactivity. The methanolic extract of its aerial parts (stem and leaves) was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), identifying 17 phenolic compounds, including rutin (53.8 µg mL⁻¹), chlorogenic acid (53.3 µg mL⁻¹), gallic acid (36.3 µg mL⁻¹), and ferulic acid (33.3 µg mL⁻¹) as the primary constituents. These compounds correlated with the extract’s antioxidant activity, confirmed by the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, yielding an IC₅₀ of 6.8 µg mL⁻¹. The extract showed significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition zones exceeding that of Gentamycin. It also demonstrated moderate activity against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays showed bactericidal effects at 7.8 µg mL⁻¹. Additionally, the extract inhibited biofilm formation and hemolysin production, suggesting anti-virulence potential. The Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition assays indicated anti-inflammatory effects (IC₅₀ = 11 µg mL⁻¹). Cytotoxicity tests on PC-3 prostate and SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells revealed reductions in cell viability, with IC₅₀ values of 11.52 and 10.31 µg mL⁻¹, highlighting the therapeutic potential of Acalypha indica.