Therapeutic profiling of Thespesia populnea seed acetone extract: A mangrove-associated source of antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities

Abstract

The seeds of Thespesia populnea, a mangrove-associated plant, remain understudied despite their potential bioactivity. Among various extracts, the acetone extract showed the highest polyphenol (186.13 ± 0.06 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (475.71 ± 8.08 mg QE/g) contents. Antioxidant assays demonstrated a significant free radical scavenging activity. It exhibited strong antimicrobial effects, with inhibition zones of 16–18 mm against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and MIC values of 28 µg/mL (Candida albicans) and 51 µg/mL (Aspergillus niger). The MTT assay revealed selective cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells (IC50 = 76.8 ± 2.1 µg/mL) over L929 normal fibroblasts (IC50 = 286.34 ± 1.8 µg/mL). GC–MS and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of bioactive phytochemicals responsible for these effects. This is the first comprehensive report highlighting the antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer potential of T. populnea seed extract, supporting its relevance as a promising natural candidate for biomedical applications.