Traditional parasitic plant, modern promise: antitubercular, phenolic compound and antioxidant evaluation of...

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading global cause of infectious disease-related mortality, further complicated by the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains.This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Orobanche ramosa L. (broomrape), a parasitic plant traditionally used in ethnomedicine for respiratory disorders, marking the first evaluation of its antimycobacterial activity. Various extracts were prepared using solvents such as hexane, methanol, and dichloromethane, and tested against M. tuberculosis H37Rv using the Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA).Complementary analyses included ABTS radical scavenging assays for antioxidant capacity and LC-MS/MS for identifying bioactive phenolic profiles. The results demonstrated that ethanol, methanol, and dichloromethane extracts possessed the strongest antimycobacterial activity, each yielding MIC values of 125 µg/mL. Furthermore, methanol and DMSO extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant potency (IC50 values of 5.6 and 5.4 µg/mL) and total phenolic content. LC-MS/MS analysis identified several key bioactive compounds, including luteolin, kaempferol, resveratrol, and protocatechuic acid.These findings provide scientific evidence supporting the traditional medicinal use of O. ramosa and highlight its potential as a significant natural source for developing novel agents to combat tuberculosis.