Antioxidant, α-glucosidase, antimicrobial activities chemical composition and <i>in silico</i> analysis of <i>eucalyptus camaldulensis</i> dehnh

Abstract

<p>Throughout history, medicinal plants have been the primary source for preventing and treating infectious diseases and other health issues. The flowering plant <italic>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</italic>, also called river red gum, is a member of the Myrtaceae family and has numerous traditional uses. The objectives of the present study were to identify the essential oil components of <italic>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</italic> using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), and to determine the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activities of ethanol, aqueous, and essential oil extracts from <italic>E. camaldulensis</italic> leaves. Addtionally, the essential oil constituents that were identified underwent an <italic>in silico</italic> analysis. The efficacy of various extracts in combat pathogens and free radicals was assessed through the utilization of the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picryl Hydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), α-glucosidase inhibition, and disk diffusion methods. In terms of radical scavenging, reducing power, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, the essential oil showed strong antioxidant activity at 84.01 %, 20.1 mmol/g, and 78.2 %, respectively. The essential oil showed a potent antimicrobial action against <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> and <italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic>, with 12 and 14 mm inhibitions, respectively, which were higher than ampicillin's 9 and 6 mm inhibitions, respectively. The GCMS analysis showed that the following chemicals were the most common: cis-11-hexadecenal (10.2%), trans-13-octadecenoic acid (9.5%), and 6-Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, (Z)-(8.8%). The α-glucosidase enzyme was targeted in a docking study to investigate the antidiabetic properties of the 42 phytochemicals found in the essential oil extract. The compound, namely 5.alpha.-Androstan-16-one, showed the highest binding affinities of −8.6 Kcal/mol during the docking screening of the 42 identified phytochemicals against α-glucosidase. These two compounds show potential as competitive α-glucosidase inhibitors. <italic>E. camaldulensis</italic> will be a particularly useful source to improve health and fight communicable and non-communicable diseases. Nonetheless, human evaluations of <italic>E. camaldulensis</italic> safety and effectiveness are necessary, and more well-planned clinical trials are needed to confirm our <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in silico</italic> findings.</p>