Rutin isolated from Acalypha indica L.: A comprehensive analysis of its antibacterial and anticancer activities

Antibiotic resistance and cancer demand alternative therapeutic strategies. Rutin, a polyphenol from Acalypha indica L., exhibits notable antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. This study isolates and evaluates rutin for its bioactivity.

Rutin was extracted using Soxhlet extraction, purified via column chromatography and HPLC, and characterized by HR-MS and NMR. Antibacterial activity was assessed by disc diffusion against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cytotoxicity was tested on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Molecular docking evaluated binding to human protein disulfide isomerase (PDI).

Rutin showed antibacterial activity with inhibition zones of 5.0-9.2 mm, strongest against S. aureus. It exhibited dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values of 22.31 ± 1.28 μg/mL (MCF-7) and 20.43 ± 0.81 μg/mL (MDA-MB-231) at 24 h. Docking analysis revealed strong affinity to human PDI (-5.84 kcal/mol, Ki = 52.19 μM).

Rutin from Acalypha indica L. demonstrates significant antibacterial and anticancer activity, with strong PDI interaction, supporting its potential as a natural therapeutic agent.