Abstract
Background:
Tectaria coadunata (T. coadunata) is an important fern species with a number of
medicinal properties. It has been evidently found for its effectiveness in ethanomedicinal usage, which can also
emerge as one of the most promising sources for nutraceuticals.
Objective:
This study aims to examine the phytochemistry of the whole crude extract of T. coadunata for the
first time with evaluation of antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer activity.
Methods:
High Resolution Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry analysis (HR-LCMS) was performed for
confirming the presence of biologically active constituents in the extract of T. coadunata followed by antibacterial,
antioxidant and anticancer activity.
Results:
With the detailed Mass spectra data, absorbance spectra and retention times, chemical composition of
T. coadunata holds a diverse group of bioactive/chemical components such as sugars, sugar alcohol, flavonoids,
terpenoids and phenolics. The results for antioxidant activity showed that T. coadunata crude extract had higher
scavenging potential against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals than H2O2 molecules, which
was followed by positive antibacterial activity against several pathogenic bacteria like Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus
aureus and Salmonella typhi.
Discussion:
The ethanolic extract of T. coadunata showed favorable antiproliferation activity against three
leukemic (KG1, MOLT-3 and K-562) cells in a dose dependent manner, especially for KG1 42.850±1.24μg/ml.
Conclusion:
This study has provided a better understanding of the presence of biologically active phytochemical
constituents in the extract of T. coadunata, which can be the reason for its bioactive potential. Moreover,
T. coadunata has significant anticancer activities against human leukemic cancer cell lines, indicating it as a potential
anticancer agent.