Vachellia flava (Fabaceae): biological activities and chemical constituents

The Fabaceae family contains a shrub tree called Vachellia flava (Syn.: Acacia ehrenbergiana), and considering its ethnopharmacological uses, it is recognized as a significant traditional medicinal herb. We herein aim to evaluate the biological potential of V. flava crude extract, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasite, and toxicity against normal cells. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the crude extract of V. flava was investigated. Antimicrobial results showed that the crude extract possessed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans at various concentrations. The plant extracts also exhibited high antiparasite activity against Giardia intestinalis and scavenged DPPH^• free radicals. An in vitro MTT assay showed no toxicity in normal cells. At the same time, by assaying the in vivo acute toxicity in rats, slight changes in various rat parameters were detected. GC-MS analysis of V. flava identified a phenolic compound as the most abundant constituent, pyrogallol (42.79%), followed by a sugar (4-O-methylmannose; 17.96%), a diterpenoid (1S,3E,4S,5R,7E,11E)-cembra-2,7,11-trien-4,5-diol; 14.49%), and a fatty acid (n-hexadecanoic acid; 12.87%). Considering all the prominent bioactivities, the plant serves as an excellent example to be considered for further phytochemical and pharmacological investigation.