Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Phytochemical profiling and evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Catharanthus roseus ethanol extract
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Research Articles | Published: 03 December, 2025
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Keywords: Catharanthus roseus, GC–MS profiling, Fatty acid esters, Antioxidant activity, Antibacterial activity
Abstract
Catharanthus roseus is a medicinal plant rich in secondary metabolites with diverse pharmacological activities. This study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of the ethanol extract of C. roseus. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids, with total phenolic and flavonoid contents of 45.23 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g and 37.43 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/g extract, respectively. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) profiling identified 17 major compounds, dominated by fatty acid esters (83% of total peak area), particularly polyunsaturated fatty acid esters such as 8,11,14-docosatrienoic acid methyl ester (19.57%) and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid ethyl ester (15.22%). Triterpenoids represented 6.15%, while benzenoid derivatives, amides, and hydrocarbons comprised ~ 11%. The ethanol extract exhibited moderate antioxidant activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 245.65 µg/mL in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, compared to 12.71 µg/mL for vitamin C. It also showed dose-dependent antibacterial activity, with Escherichia coli being the most sensitive strain (8.00 mm at 50 mg/mL) and Salmonella sp. the least (2.67 mm). Correlation analysis revealed that antioxidant activity was primarily driven by fatty acid esters, whereas antibacterial effects resulted from a synergistic contribution of both fatty acid esters and triterpenoids. These findings support the traditional use of C. roseus and highlight its potential as a source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.
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Author Information
An Giang University, Long Xuyen ward, Vietnam