Investigating the Bioactive Potential of Ononis spinosa L. Phytochemical Profiling and Antibacterial Effectiveness Evaluation

This study was conducted in order to investigate the antibacterial potency of the Ononis spinosa L. extracts. The phenolic compounds in the aerial parts of Ononis spinosa were examined using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (HPLC-UV/DAD) technology, and were assessed due to their antimicrobial properties. The greatest total phenolic amount of the extracts, as measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent procedure, was found to be 43.03 ± 1.02 mg GAE/gDW in stem extract, while the utmost flavonoid content value was 31.45 ± 0.45 mg QE/gDW in stem extract, as measured by aluminum chloride colorimetric method. Based on HPLC analysis, we find that epicatechin (5.1 mg/g) constituted the predominant compound in the aerial plant extract. The antibacterial capability of the extracts was determined against twelve strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The strains evaluated were chosen for an antibacterial assay utilizing the in vitro disc diffusion and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. All examined extracts exhibited antibacterial potential, varying from moderate to strong, with the stem extract demonstrating the most pronounced effect, significantly inhibiting the development of Staphylococcus aureus recording diameter of inhibition zone, MIC, and MBC (minimal bactericidal concentration) of 30 mm, 4.68 mg/ ml, and 9.36 mg/ ml, respectively. The extracts from Ononis spinosa showed a high antibacterial efficacy, thus they may have potential applications in food and pharmaceutical products.