Elucidating the phytochemical profiles and antibacterial potential of Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. through untargeted LC-HRMS metabolomics analysis

Context: Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook., is a plant that has been used traditionally in Asia as a medicine. Its foliage is both utilized medicinally and consumed as a vegetable, whereas the rhizomes have historically been employed to treat a variety of conditions, including infectious diseases. Aims: To elucidate the phytochemical profile of H. zeylanica and assess its antibacterial potential through untargeted metabolomic analysis. Methods: Various parts of the plant were extracted using the maceration technique, and this was followed by evaluating the antibacterial activity using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Then, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. Phytochemical analysis was performed using LC-HRMS. Multivariate analyses, including PCA and PLS-DA, were used to explore the variations in metabolite profiles and their association with antibacterial activity. Results: The results showed that the H. zeylanica extracts had moderate antibacterial activity, particularly against certain Gram-positive bacteria, though their efficacy was generally lower when compared to the standard antibiotic chloramphenicol. Metabolomic profiling revealed distinct metabolic signatures for each plant part, thereby emphasizing the unique phytochemical environments. Furthermore, our findings suggest that H. zeylanica contains bioactive compounds with selective antibacterial properties. However, its overall effectiveness, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria, is limited when compared to conventional antibiotics. Conclusions: This study not only contributes to the pharmacological understanding of H. zeylanica, but it also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive metabolomic analysis in determining the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants.