Phytochemical Analysis and Multifaceted Biomedical Activities of Nitraria retusa Extract as Natural Product-Based Therapies

Abstract

This study examined the phytochemical profile and biomedical activities of <i>Nitraria retusa</i>, a halophytic and drought-resistant shrub. HPLC analysis showed gallic acid (1905.1 μg/g), catechin (1984.1 μg/g), and ellagic acid (2671.1 μg/g) as the primary constituents, while FT-IR analysis revealed a complex organic profile with significant functional groups. The extract demonstrated strong antioxidant activity in DPPH assays, outperforming ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 18.7 ± 1.0 μg/mL) with an IC₅₀ of 16.4 ± 4.4 μg/mL. It demonstrated specific antiproliferative effects on cancer cell lines as it showed selective cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines; normal WI38 cells were largely unaffected, showing 50.0% viability at 125 μg/mL. The most sensitive cell line was Caco2, which showed 50.0% viability at 125 μg/mL. Anti-diabetic properties were exhibited by means of inhibition of α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 68.2 ± 4.2 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 22.8 ± 3.3 μg/mL). Additionally, antimicrobial activity was observed to be broad-spectrum, and it was most effective against <i>E. coli</i> (32.6 mm inhibition zone at 400 μg/mL) and <i>Penicillium glabrum</i> (35.3 mm at 400 μg/mL). These findings highlight the potential of <i>N. retusa</i> in developing plant-based therapeutic approaches.