Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity Assessment of Entada scandens Stem Extract: Insights Into Its Antioxidant,...

This study investigated the bioactive potential of crude methanolic extract of Entada scandens stem through evaluation of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. The methanolic extract consists of high total phenolic content (TPC) (230.38 ± 1.83 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid content (TFC) (194.64 ± 1.43 mg rutinE/g extract). The extract exhibited potent antioxidant activity with low IC₅₀ values in the DPPH (10.83 µg/mL) and ABTS (5.70 µg/mL) assays. In addition, the FRAP assay revealed strong, concentration-dependent ferric ion-reducing capacity, achieving nearly 100% scavenging at ∼1000 µg/mL. Antimicrobial tests revealed selective activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, and Shigella species, with significant biofilm inhibition observed. In vitro studies on a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) demonstrated cytotoxic effects (IC₅₀ 322.3 µg/mL). In contrast, the normal cell line (HEK293) is not sensitive to the extract (IC₅₀ 917.7 µg/mL), indicating selective anticancer activity. The HRMS profiling of the phytochemicals revealed presence of several phytochemicals, namely, quercetin, kaempferol, taxifolin, formononetin 7-O-glucoside, apigenin 7-arabinoside, and usnic acid. The extract's bioactive components, characterized by high phenolic and flavonoid contents, likely contribute to its varied biological effects. These findings highlight E. scandens as a promising source for therapeutic agents targeting oxidative stress, microbial infections, and cancer, supporting further pharmacological investigation.