Phytochemical Profile of Zygophyllum paulayanum Extracts and their Promising Biological Activities

Abstract

Zygophyllum paulayanum (syn. Fagonia schweinfurthii), a desert species known for its remarkable adaptation to harsh environmental conditions, has long been recognized for its medicinal properties, including antioxidant, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and antipyretic effects. This study aims to optimize the extraction process of its bioactive compounds using a range of solvents from non-polar to polar at different temperatures, followed by phytochemical screening. The hot ethanol extract was selected for further fractionation into non-polar to polar fractions, which were subsequently analyzed for phytochemical content and biological activities. The n-hexane fraction was found to be rich in fatty acids (24.71%), such as linoleic, palmitic, oleic, linolenic, stearic, lauric, and myristic acids, while the ethyl acetate fraction was abundant in polyphenols (22.14%). Notably, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, inhibiting strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCIM 5029, PAW1) and Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 5021, S8). In addition to its antibacterial effects, both the n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions showed positive responses in phytoestrogenic assays. Meanwhile, the ethanol fraction, rich in flavonoids (5.82%), tannins (4.95%), and alkaloids (18.50%), demonstrated the strongest antioxidant activity (92.08%) at concentration 100 µg/mL, water fraction rich in saponins (16.10%), exhibited the most potent anti-inflammatory effect (59.78%) at concentration 1000 µg/mL. The LC/QTOF-MS (liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry) data of hot ethanol extract showed presence of phenol, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and phytosterols cyclitol in plant. These findings highlight Zygophyllum paulayanum as a valuable source of bioactive compounds with promising therapeutic potential across various biological activities.