Chemical Composition, Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities of Volatile Fraction and Water Extracts of Moricandia arvensis L. (DC) and Molecular Docking Study

This study is aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects of the extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Moricandia arvensis L. (DC) in addition to water-based ones, specifically of decoction and infusion. Moreover, the volatile fraction is extracted through hydro-distillation, employing a Clevenger-type apparatus. A GC–MS analysis of the volatile fraction content of M. arvensis L. (DC) leads to the identification of 36 components, which represent 70.77% of the volatile fraction, including 3,9-epoxy-p-menth-1-ene (11.72%), vianol (10.41%), and myristicin (5.59%). All the extracts exhibit an antibacterial activity after testing five bacteria. The compounds vianol and 3,9-epoxy-p-menth-1-ene are found to inhibit Pseudomona aeruginosa, which is considered as one of the most resistant bacteria. This result is supported by significant binding interactions revealed by in silico docking studies. Added to that, the effect of the M. arvensis L. (DC) extracts on the viability of the Human Embryonic Kidney HEK-293 cells is studied. The results did not show any indication of cytotoxic impact. Consequently, it is concluded that this plant possesses a high potential in the fields of aromatherapy and pharmacy.