Neuropharmacological, Antidiarrheal, and Antimicrobial Effects of <i>Chaetomorpha aerea</i> Acetone Extract: GC‐MS Profiling and In Silico Analysis

<i>Chaetomorpha aerea</i>, distributed in temperate and tropical coastal regions, is traditionally consumed as a nutrient-rich food source in coastal communities and is believed to possess medicinal properties. This study evaluated the sedative, anxiolytic, antidiarrheal, and antimicrobial activities of the acetone extract of <i>C. aerea</i> (AECA). Furthermore, GC-MS performed a quantitative phytochemical analysis of the AECA. Sedative activity was evaluated in mice using the open field test (OFT) and hole cross test (HCT); anxiolytic activity was assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM), hole board test (HBT), and light-dark box test (LDBT); and antidiarrheal activity was determined through castor oil-induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal motility test. The disc-diffusion method was employed to evaluate antibacterial activity. In both OFT and HCT models, AECA 400 mg/kg demonstrated a significant reduction of square crossed and hole crossed compared to diazepam, respectively. In the case of EPM and HBT, 400 mg/kg dose of AECA demonstrated significant dose-dependent activity. Both in the castor oil-induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal motility test, 400 mg/kg of AECA demonstrated moderate inhibition of diarrhea compared to standard loperamide. Antimicrobial assay of AECA showed considerable inhibition against <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Salmonella typhi</i>, measuring inhibition zones of 14 mm and 13 mm. Bioactive metabolites from GC-MS analysis were investigated through molecular docking. Docking was performed against GABA_A receptor (6X3T), MAO-A (2Z5X), M3 muscarinic receptor (5ZHP), <i>E. coli</i> FabI (1LX6), and GyrA (5ZTJ). AECA showed notable sedative, anxiolytic, antidiarrheal, and antimicrobial activities. To evaluate the molecular pathways involved and isolate the bioactive ingredients, more research is required.