Chemical composition, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and anticancer activities of essential oils of Berberis balochistanica Ahrendt

Background: In Balochistan, the biotechnological potential of medicinal plants has not been widely investigated. Thus, searching medicinal plants for novel compounds is vital source for developing emerging and new medications. Objectives: The present study aims to describe the chemical profile and evaluate the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer effects of the essential oil (EO) of Berberis balochistanica. Gas Chhromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyzed the chemical constituents. Methods: Antioxidant potential was evaluated by 2-2-diphenyl-1-picylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Antifungal action was evaluated using agar well and disc diffusion methods. The antibacterial screening was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains through the disc diffusion technique and by determining minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). To investigate anticancer activity, an 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay was used. Results: GC-MS analysis revealed 19 components accounting for 99.9% of the total EO. The EO exhibited a substantial effect against the fungal strain Alternaria alternate and remarkable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, while showing no cytotoxic activity. Conclusion: These results show that B. balochastanica based EO has the potential to be evaluated in clinical applications and pharmaceutical industries as an antimicrobial agent for the treatment of various ailments. It may serve as a preservative in food stuffs, serving as a natural replacement for harmful synthetic antioxidants.