Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity of Murraya Koenigii Shoots: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Potentials of Solvent Extracts

Medicinal plants have long been integral to both traditional and modern medicines because of their wide range of bioactive chemicals. Murraya koenigii (Curry leaf) is also one of these well-known plants and is notable for its therapeutic properties. In the current study, five solvents of varying polarity were used to prepare solvent-specific extracts of M. koenigii shoots to evaluate the effect of the extraction medium on bioactivity. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties were assessed systematically. Different bioactivity profiles exhibited that the yield and potency of bioactive components are significantly influenced by solvent polarity. Extracts with greater antibacterial activity, antioxidant capacity, and anticancer potential were regularly generated by polar solvents, especially methanol and ethanol. Gallic acid, quercetin, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid were among the rich phenolic profiles assessed by HPLC, and the methanol extract demonstrated the best DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content. Additionally, ethanol extract demonstrated potent antibacterial and antifungal action, particularly against Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae. It's interesting to note that, while being typically less active, the non-polar hexane extract exhibited the best ABTS⁺ radical inhibition. This surprising result highlights the selective extraction of non-polar antioxidant chemicals. Methanol extract demonstrated the highest anticancer impact (lowest cell survival at 416 µg/mL), while all extracts showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity against HeLa cancer cells. Overall, these findings showed that the biochemical landscape and bioactivity of M. koenigii extracts are shaped by solvent polarity, underscoring the strategic significance of solvent selection in optimizing therapeutic potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.