Investigation of the pharmacological characteristics of Sphaeranthus indicus flowers using phytochemical analysis

Although the conventional usage of Sphaeranthus indicus flowers in medicine exists, there is a lack of research on the precise pharmacological characteristics and comprehensive phytochemical composition of its flowers, resulting in a knowledge gap on their whole therapeutic capabilities. The aim of this work is to identify and describe the phytochemicals found in the flowers of Sphaeranthus indicus and assess specific pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic, antidepressant, and antidiarrheal characteristics. The investigation revealed that the MESIF (methanol extract of S. indicus flowers) showed substantial antioxidant performance (IC50 = 26.33) accompanied by a moderate phenolic content (93.33 ± 1.76). At 250 and 500 µg/ml, the extract exhibited modest to moderate antibacterial sensitivity against many tested pathogens and significantly reduced inflammation by protein denaturation (41.63 ± 0.11 and 70.52 ± 0.20). Furthermore, MESIF exhibited remarkable thrombolytic activity with a statistically significant (***P<0.001) lysis of clots. The extract showed substantial reduction in immobility in both the Forced Swim Test (FST) and Tail Suspension Test (TST) at doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg (***p<0.001). It also a showed significant potent antidiarrheal activity (**p<0.01 at 200 mg/kg and ***p<0.001 at 400 mg/kg), effectively reducing diarrheal episodes in the test models. These findings suggest that the MESIF holds potential for developing treatments with antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic, antidepressant, and antidiarrheal effects. Further research is recommended to isolate specific bioactive compounds and elucidate the mechanisms underlying these pharmacological actions.