Exploring Carissa spinarum as a therapeutic candidate: metabolite profiling and antimicrobial evaluation

Carissa spinarum L. is traditionally valued for its medicinal properties, yet its bioactive potential remains insufficiently explored. In this study, stem and leaf extracts were evaluated for their total phenolic content (TPC), metabolite composition, and biological activities. TPC values were 87.13 and 89.90 mg GAE at concentrations of 217.83 mg/mL and 224.78 mg/mL for stem and leaf extracts, respectively. ₁H-NMR analysis revealed several tentative bioactive metabolites including syringic acid, catechin, hiravanone, quinic acid, betulinic acid, and linoleic acid. Antibacterial activity tested against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and MRSA showed strong inhibition of all pathogens except B. subtilis. Anticancer activity on HeLa cells and antioxidant evaluation using DPPH confirmed higher efficacy of the stem extract compared to the leaf extract. Overall, C. spinarum demonstrates promising antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties, supporting its potential as a source of natural therapeutic agents.