Unlocking the promising potential of herbal bioactive from Aerva sanguinolenta (L.) Blume by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling from Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India

Abstract

Aerva sanguinolenta (L.) Blume belongs to the family Amaranthaceae, having various pharmacological activities. The present work is designed to focus on the presence of phytoconstituents by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and their equivalent clusters by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) summarizing, along with a phytochemical study, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of A. sanguinolenta (L.) Blume. The phytochemical analysis such as total phenolics content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) was assessed in leaf extracts, and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were also determined. The quantitative phytochemical tests highlighted that TPC was found to be highest in methanol (MeOH) extract (209.05 ± 0.009 mg GAE/g dry weight), whereas TFC in ethyl acetate (EtAc) extract was 34.14 ± 0.0002 (RUE/g dry weight). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity indicated that the MeOH extract has significant activity (IC50=49.59 µg/mL). The GC-MS profiling identified 18 compounds, including major plant-derived metabolites Neophytadiene, Hentriacontane, and N-Decanoic acid, which have strong anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. The FTIR analysis confirmed functional groups such as alcohols, phenols, and alkanes. The antimicrobial study displayed altering degrees of inhibition across all plant extracts and the antibiotics studied, indicating preliminary antimicrobial activity that warrants further investigation to isolate specific active molecules. This study provides the first regional characterisation of Aerva sanguinolenta from Garo Hills, Meghalaya, and establishes a noteworthy link between solvent polarity and the extraction effectiveness of phenolics and flavonoids.  The study also delivers scientific indication supporting the traditional use of the species by local physicians and aids as an vital initial baseline for forthcoming bioassays.