Extraction, identification of chemical constituents, and in vitro evaluation against cells and bacterial pathogens of the leaves of Polyalthia rumphii

Polyalthia rumphii  (P. rumphii) is a member of the Annonaceae family with a wide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. In traditional Chinese medicine, various members of this genus have been employed as medicinal plants to address refractory ailments. The Li ethnic minority, primarily residing in Hainan Island, has traditionally utilised extracts derived from P. rumphii for fever prevention, hypertension management, and the inhibition of cancer cell growth. The current study aimed to extract P. rumphii leaves and identify their chemical components using GS-MS and traditional phytochemical methods. This study evaluated the LPr’s biomedical properties using antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities. Three solvents were employed to extract the LPr: hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH). Prepared samples were collected and labelled as HLPr, DLPr, and MLPr, respectively, and their biomedical activities were assessed. The results of phytochemical screening showed the presence of terpenoids and glycosides in all three prepared extracts. At the same time, the alkaloids did not identify as being present in all of them. The results of GC-Mass spectroscopy showed the presence of 22 compounds; the low percentages were Allo-Aromadendrene (0.09%), 2,2-dimethoxyethane (0.27%), and Methyl stearate (0.33%) while Trans-α-bergamotene (11.23%), Benzene, 1-methoxy-4-(4-methyl-4-pentenyl)- (8.97%), 2,5-Pyrrolidinedione, 1-methyl- (6.89%), and 2,6-Dimethylbenzonitrile (5.01%) detected with high percentages. The LPr cytotoxicity was measured against HeLa cells, and the results showed no toxic effect. All of the prepared samples showed a significant impact in inhibiting the bacteria growth. The present study established significant bio-medical properties of LPr and obtained products with nontoxic effect.