Potential Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of Caralluma indica Seed Extract

<b>Background:</b> Plant-derived phytochemicals are crucial in fighting bacterial infections and in cancer therapy. <b>Objective:</b> This study investigates the phytochemical composition of the ethanolic extract obtained from <i>Caralluma indica</i> (<i>C. indica</i>) seeds and assesses its antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. <b>Results:</b> GC-MS analysis found 30 phytochemicals in <i>C. indica</i> seeds, including 5 bioactive compounds that have been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity properties, through in silico evaluation. Phytochemical screening of <i>C. indica</i> identified and measured the phenolic compounds, providing insight into its bioactive potential and therapeutic properties. <i>C. indica</i> exhibited robust antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, nitric oxide, and H₂O₂ radical scavenging) alongside potent antimicrobial activity against oral pathogen and cytotoxicity activity on a human oral squamous carcinoma cell line (OECM-1) (EC₅₀ of 169.35 µg/mL) and yeast cell <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (215.82 µg/mL), with a selective index of 1.27. The subminimum % MBC/MFC of <i>C. indica</i> significantly reduced biofilm formation against oral pathogens (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Molecular docking studies showed a strong correlation (r = 0.862) between antifungal and anticancer targets, suggesting that the antimicrobial agents in <i>C. indica</i> contribute to cancer prevention mechanisms. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings propose <i>C. indica</i> seeds as promising candidates for combating oral pathogens, inhibiting biofilm formation, and reducing the risk of oral cancer progression.