Bioactives of Dendrophthoe trigona (Wt. & Arn.) Danser for its Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities

Abstract

The natural phenolic compound 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylphenol, commonly known as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and the fatty acid pentadecanoic acid was isolated from the methanol extract of Dendrophthoe trigona leaves, which parasitize Ficus benghalensis. The structures of these compounds were elucidated through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectral (MS) analyses. This study assesses the total phenolic content, as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the isolated compounds. The total phenolic content for BHT and pentadecanoic acid was found to be 65.09 ± 0.24 and 52.47 ± 0.17 μg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE), respectively. In antioxidant assays, BHT exhibited greater activity than pentadecanoic acid, with both compounds demonstrating effectiveness comparable to standard ascorbic acid. Additionally, pentadecanoic acid showed superior antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli compared to BHT. These results indicate that D. trigona could serve as a natural source for the production of BHT and antimicrobial agents.