Antioxidant, Antifungal, and Brine Shrimp Toxicity of Centaurea pullata Methanolic Extract

Noor Muhammad Khan; Latif Ullah Khan; Wasi Ullah Khan

Авторы

Noor Muhammad Khan Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, China
Latif Ullah Khan National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, College of Breeding and Multiplication, Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication, Hainan University, Sanya, China.
Wasi Ullah Khan Department of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology Bannu 28100, KPK, Pakistan , National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, College of Breeding and Multiplication, Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication, Hainan University, Sanya, China

Ключевые слова:

Centaurea pullata, Phytochemicals, Cytotoxicity, Antifungal, Bioactive compounds

Аннотация

Centaurea pullata is a medicinal plant with significant therapeutic value and is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the antifungal and cytotoxic activities of C. pullata, along with screening for bioactive compounds and assessing the antioxidant potential of its methanolic extract (CPME). The plant material was dried, ground, and extracted using methanol to obtain a crude extract. In vitro biological assays and antioxidant analyses were performed using standard protocols. The cytotoxic activity, assessed by the brine shrimp lethality assay, showed 100% mortality at a concentration of 3 mg/ml after 72 h. The extract exhibited strong antifungal activity, with 92% inhibition against Aspergillus flavus, 93% against Aspergillus niger, and the highest inhibition (94%) against Aspergillus fumigatus. In antioxidant assays, CPME demonstrated notable free radical scavenging activity at 3 mg/ml, including 85% (DPPH), 83% (ABTS), 77% (H₂O₂), 87% (β-carotene), 82% (hydroxyl radical), and 93% (phosphomolybdate). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various biologically active compounds. These findings suggest that C. pullata possesses significant antifungal, antioxidant, and cytotoxic potential due to its rich phytochemical composition. Further purification and in vivo studies are recommended to confirm its therapeutic applications.