Functional properties of globularia alypum methanolic extract: towards natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents

The present study investigated the phytochemical composition and the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic leaf extract of Globularia alypum. RP-HPLC analysis identified four phenolic acids and four flavonoids, with rutin as the predominant compound (38.02 µg/g DW). The extract exhibited notable antioxidant activity, with a DPPH IC50 value of 50 µg/mL. Antibacterial assays demonstrated inhibitory activity against all six tested bacterial strains, with the greatest susceptibility observed for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, showing inhibition zones of 17 and 15 mm, respectively, and MIC values of 12.5 mg/mL. In addition, the extract reduced nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages (IC50 = 1000 µg/mL) with no pronounced cytotoxicity at the tested concentrations, indicating detectable NO-inhibitory activity under the experimental conditions. These findings highlight G. alypum leaves as a valuable source of bioactive phenolic compounds with promising antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.