IDENTIFICATION OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS BY GC-MS AND EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MEDICINAL PLANT EUPHORBIA OSYRIDEA

Abstract

The medicinal plant Euphorbia osyridea belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and genus Euphorbia, which includes a number of plants used for therapeutic purposes. The species occurs in Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Pakistan. The present research evaluated the phytochemical profile, volatile compounds, and antibacterial effect of E. osyridea. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening revealed the occurrence of coumarins, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, steroids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and terpenoids. Among the investigated constituents, phenols showed the highest content (45%), followed by saponins (30%) in the ethyl acetate fraction and flavonoids (27%) in the methanolic extract. GC–MS analysis of the n-hexane fraction resulted in the identification of 38 compounds belonging to different chemical classes. The antibacterial capability of the raw extract and its fractions was assessed against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Identification of different phytochemicals and volatile compounds in E. osyridea, along with its antibacterial capability, shows that this plant may be a valuable source of a variety of potentially therapeutic compounds.