GC-MS profiling of anticancer and antimicrobial phytochemicals in the vegetative leaf, root, and stem of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal

Abstract

Withania somnifera has been used for a long time in traditional medicine. Its crude extract, dried powder, and purified metabolites from mature plants have shown promising therapeutic potential. To further investigate its potential, the detection of phytochemicals with anticancer and antimicrobial properties in the vegetative stage is essential. Hence, this study was done to identify phytochemical constituents using GC-MS analysis for anticancer and antimicrobial activities in the vegetative stage from methanolic extracts of stem, leaf, and root in W. somnifera. The air-dried plant parts were extracted with methanol at low pressure to concentrate using a rotary evaporator at 40°C. To identify phytochemicals, Shimadzu GCMSQP2010, Japan, was used with the NIST107.LIB database. The GC-MS identified 35 unique phytochemical peaks at the vegetative stage in W. somnifera. In leaves, the antibacterial phytochemicals included cyclotrisiloxane, hexamethyl, with a high abundance, and cyclohexasiloxane, dodecamethyl, with the least abundance. In roots, the phytochemicals 2,2-dimethoxybutane, with high abundance, and cathinone, with least abundance, were found to have antibacterial properties, whereas trans-2,3-epoxyoctane, with high abundance, and 2,2-dimethoxybutane, with least abundance, were found to have anticancer properties. In stem, the antibacterial phytoconstituents octasiloxane, 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7,9,9,11,11,13,13,15,15-hexadecamethyl, and benzenemethanol, alpha.-(1-aminoethyl), were found to be the most abundant and least abundant, respectively, while arabinitol and pentaacetate had both anticancer and antibacterial activities. At the vegetative stage, GC-MS studies of stem, leaf, and root parts revealed the occurrence of potential phytochemicals for antibacterial and anticancer activities in W. somnifera.