Evaluation of phytochemical, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties of Gnidia glauca (Fres.) Gilg: A potential therapeutic plant from the Western Ghats

Plants are sessile organisms and to protect themselves against exogenous constraints, they synthesize an array of secondary metabolites which have important physiological and ecological effects.The present study investigates the extraction, phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiinflammatory activities of Gnidia glauca (Fres.)Gilg leaf and stem extracts using different solvents of varying polarity.The highest extraction yield was observed in methanol leaf extracts (9.6%), followed by methanol stem extracts (9.2%), while the lowest yield was in stem n-hexane extracts (3.6%).Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds, including phenols, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, glycosides, and saponins, with methanol extracts demonstrating the richest variety and concentration of phytochemicals, especially in leaf material.Antioxidant activities wer e evaluated using the DPPH and FRAP assays, showing strong radical scavenging potential in methanol and ethyl acetate leaf extracts, with IC 50 values of 47.73 g/ml and 49.00 g/ml, respectively.Antimicrobial activity was assessed against bacterial and fungal pathogens, with methanol and ethyl acetate leaf extracts exhibiting significant antibacterial activity, particularly against P. and Salmonella typhi.The methanol extract also demonstrated antifungal activity against C. albicans and E. floccosum.Furthermore, the methanol leaf extract showed considerable anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting LPS-induced TNF- release by 52.13%.This study offers an opportunity to conserve and explore this potent medicinal plant for further pharmaceutical usage.