Phytochemical analysis of Bienertia sinuspersici extract and its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Natural products derived from plants are emerging as a valuable resource for a range of antimicrobial agents in sustainable agriculture. The current work looks for the first time at the antimicrobial properties of a methanolic extract of Bienertia sinuspersici against phytopathogenic microorganisms in vitro, using disk diffusion and food poisoning techniques. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity measured at 34.2, 20.6, and 20.1 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of tannins, saponins, and alkaloids were documented at 17.6, 9.8, and 3.2 mg/g, respectively. The high-performance liquid chromatography examination of polyphenolic chemicals revealed that gallic acid was the most abundant compound at 2.22 mg/g, whereas methyl gallate was the least abundant at 0.021 mg/g. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the primary components were oleic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, and methyl ester of 11-octadecenoic acid. The extract had a maximal inhibitory percentage of 57.8% against Fusarium oxysporum at 300 µg/mL, 60.4% against Rhizoctonia solani at 500 µg/mL, and 88.2% against Botrytis cinerea. On the other hand, the extract demonstrated inhibition of Pectobacterium atrosepticum growth by 10.67 mm at a concentration of 100 µg/mL, while Ralstonia solanacearum was inhibited by 9.76 mm and Pectobacterium carotovorum by 9 mm. Overall, the extract of B. sinuspersici demonstrated promising efficacy as antibacterial and antifungal agents against different plant pathogens. Therefore, it could offer a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative for managing plant diseases.