Phytochemical Analysis, Bioactivity and Cytotoxicity Study of Crinum jagus Bulb Extracts from Ogbomoso, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of C. jagus bulb collected from Oja-Igbo, Ogbomoso, Southwestern Nigeria, due to the documented traditional use of C. jagus in disease management in the region and the scarcity of region-specific phytochemical and bioactivity studies compared to other geographical locations. The air-dried bulbs were successively extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol, and then subjected to phytochemical screening, antioxidant assays (DPPH and FRAC), antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity (brine shrimp lethality assay), and GC-MS analysis. The polar extracts were found to be rich in alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, and glycosides, with the ethyl acetate extract being rich in phenolic compounds and having high antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 182.77 µg/mL). The extracts showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity (10-18 mm; MIC 1.56-25 µg/mL) and moderate cytotoxicity. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of various bioactive compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, n-hexadecanoic acid, linoleic acid, and β-bisabolene. These results confirm the ethnomedicinal significance of C. jagus and its potential as a region-specific source of bioactive compounds for antioxidant, antimicrobial, and future drug discovery purposes.