MULTIMODAL EVALUATION OF TROPICAL PLANT: PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, NANOPARTICLE SYNTHESIS, ENZYME INHIBITION, AND IN SILICO DOCKING INSIGHTS INTO ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTI-OBESITY THERAPEUTICS

Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae) is a medicinally important herb traditionally used for treating infections, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. The present study employed an integrated experimental and in silico approach to explore its phytochemical profile, nanoparticle synthesis potential, enzyme inhibitory activity, antimicrobial efficacy, and molecular mechanisms. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses of the methanolic leaf extract revealed the presence of diverse secondary metabolites including flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenols, saponins, and glycosides, indicating a strong bioactive composition. The extract successfully mediated the green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), confirmed by UV–Visible spectroscopy (SPR peak at 273.7 nm), FTIR (functional groups of proteins and phenolics as reducing and capping agents), XRD (crystalline FCC copper structure, 25–30 nm), EDX (Cu 67.18 wt%), and SEM (spherical morphology, 104–124 nm). The synthesized CuNPs exhibited significant dose-dependent inhibitory activity against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase, indicating