Bioactivities of Psychotria sp. ethanol extract from Gia Lai, Vietnam: Antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing activities

Abstract

A newly discovered species of the genus Psychotria, recently identified in Vietnam, is a traditional medicinal herb widely used in the country. However, the biological activity of this species has not been specifically investigated. This study analysed the compounds, evaluated the antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing potential, and cytotoxic activities of Psychotria sp. extract (PRE). The compound analysis shows that PRE has 7 compounds with antibacterial properties, 5 compounds with anti-inflammatory properties, and 6 compounds with antioxidant properties. The antioxidant capacity is powerful with IC₅₀ of 19.32 µg/mL and 48.11 µg/mL for ABTS and DPPH, comparable with vitamin C (15 µg/mL and 41.07 µg/mL). The average antibacterial activity, as indicated by MIC concentration, is 12.5 mg/mL in E. coli and S. pyogenes. The cytotoxicity survey shows that PRE does not cause significant toxicity on the 3T3 cell line, confirming the initial biological safety of the extract. PRE shows a significant inhibitory effect on TNF-α production, especially at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. Notably, the extract also exhibits a positive effect in promoting wound healing, as evidenced from the "wound healing" model on 3T3 cells. These results show the potent application of Psychotria sp. in research and development of bioactive pharmaceutical products. At the same time, this is also the first study to comprehensively evaluate the biological activities of Psychotria sp. in Vietnam.