Phytochemical and biological investigations of <i>Salvia microphylla</i> leaf extracts using LC-MS/MS

In this research, the total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial susceptibility of <i>Salvia microphylla</i> leaf extracts were studied using solvents of varying polarity (n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and 80% methanol). Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were estimated using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Phytochemical analysis was conducted using the LC-ESI-MS/MS method. By using the FRAP and DPPH methods, the antioxidant activities were measured spectrophotometrically. The antimicrobial assay was done through the agar-well diffusion method against the Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. All extracts showed potent antimicrobial activity, with the hexane extract displaying strong inhibitory effects. These findings indicate that <i>S. microphylla</i> leaf extracts contain promising bioactive compounds possessing antioxidant and antibacterial properties, suggesting further research to isolate and characterise these bioactive compounds and assess their <i>in vivo</i> effects.