Chemical Constituents from Mallotus pierrei (Gagnep) Airy Shaw S (Euphorbiaceae) and Their Bioactivity Significance

The search for new plant-derived biological compounds is a challenging field with diverse applications, including the development of cosmetic products and the creation of medicines for various diseases. This study investigated the phytochemical components, antibacterial effects, and cytotoxic activities of three crude extracts obtained from the mixed leaves and twigs of Mallotus pierrei, a species from the Euphorbiaceae family. Maceration of dried mixed milled leaves and twigs of M. pierrei (2.7 kg) yielded crude extracts: hexane (27.39 g, 1.04 wt%), ethyl acetate (42.05 g, 1.55 wt%), and methanol (162.11 g, 6 wt%). The antibacterial activity tests indicated that the crude hexane extract was active against nine strains of bacteria, exhibiting the same minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of ≥3 mg/mL. In contrast, the ethyl acetate and methanol crude extracts exhibited specific activity against three bacterial strains: E. coli (ETEC), E. coli (EPEC), and S. flexneri, with MIC/MBC values of 6.25/>6.25-6.25/80 mg/mL. The cytotoxicity tests indicated that the crude hexane and ethyl acetate extracts had effective dose (ED50) values of 7.72 mg/mL and 8.80 mg/mL when tested on SH-SY5Y cells. However, the activity of the crude ethyl acetate extract was less potent than that of the standard compounds used in this study, such as chloramphenicol and ellipticine. Furthermore, the three crude extracts of M. pierrei were isolated and purified, identifying two significant compounds: friedelin-3 -ol (1) and D-pinitol (2). The findings of this study indicate that M. pierrei has anticancer properties, implying its potential for new medical applications.