Unveiling the Bioactive Potential of the Pteridophyte Thelypteris Nudata (Roxb.) c.v. Morton: Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Evaluation

Abstract

Pteridophytes, ancient vascular plants dating back to the paleozoic era, are recognized for their adaptability and production of diverse secondary metabolites with nutritional, agricultural, and medicinal significance. So, the present study was designed to investigate the phytochemical composition of Thelypteris nudata (Roxb.) C.V.Morton and evaluate its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and thrombolytic activities. The plant leaves were subjected to successive extraction using methanol, n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of methanol extracts of T. nudata exhibited the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolics, reducing sugar, diterpenes, coumarins, saponins, phlobatannins, and tannins. The Agar well diffusion method was performed for the antibacterial activity test. Antibacterial activity of methanolic extract showed greater zone of inhibition against all five bacterial strains (Salmonella enterica- 47 mm, Shigella flexneri- 37 mm, Staphylococcus saprophyticus- 43mm, Enterococcus faecalis- 39mm, Vibrio parahaemolyticus- 43mm). However, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts also displayed substantial antibacterial activity, while n-hexane and dichloromethane fractions exhibited comparatively lower inhibition zones. The DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging method was used for antioxidant activity analysis. The antioxidant potential of different solvent extracts was evaluated based on their IC₅₀ values. The methanol, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extract showed IC₅₀ values 95.92 μg/mL, 21.4 μg/mL, and 22.92 μg/mL, respectively. However, the free radical scavenging activity of dichloromethane, and n-hexane extracts exhibited weak antioxidant activity, as evidenced by their higher IC50 values (319.89 μg/mL, and 236.42 μg/mL respectively) compared to standard butyl-1-hydroxytoluene (BHT) used. The thrombolytic activity of different solvent extracts was assessed using an in vitro clot lysis assay. The ethyl acetate extract showed the highest thrombolytic activity (11.44 ± 1.05 %) among the tested fractions.

Bioresearch Commu. 12(1): 1953-1960, 2026 (January)