Phytochemical characterization and evaluation of the in vitro antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxydant properties of Solanum elaeagnifolium methanolic extracts

Solanum elaeagnifolium is a plant of growing interest in ethnopharmacology due to its diverse therapeutic potential. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile and assess the antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts derived from different plant parts (leaves, fruits, stems, and roots). Total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents were quantified using the Folin–Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride, and vanillin-HCl methods, respectively. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against four microbial strains: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Escherichia coli (K12), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231). Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. In the diffusion assay, 100µL of each methanolic extract was introduced into wells previously made in Mueller-Hinton agar plates, and the inhibition zones were measured after 24h of incubation at 37°C. Antioxidant potential was assessed via the DPPH radical scavenging assay.The results revealed that fruits exhibited the highest levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, while leaves were richest in tannins. Roots showed the lowest content of phenolic compounds. The fruit extracts demonstrated the strongest antioxidant activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 258.42 ± 3.09µg/ml. All extracts exhibited significant antimicrobial effects, suggesting that the identified phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and tannins contribute substantially to the observed bioactivity.These results underscore the promise of S. elaeagnifolium as a reservoir of pharmacologically active compounds, particularly phenolics, with notable antimicrobial and antioxidant effects relevant to drug discovery and botanical therapeutics.