Phytochemical Profiling of Allium subhirsutum L. Aqueous Extract with Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm, and Anti-Quorum Sensing Properties: In Vitro and In Silico Studies

Mejdi Snoussi; Emira Noumi; Hafed Hajlaoui; Lamjed Bouslama; Assia Hamdi; Mohd Saeed; Mousa Alreshidi; Mohd Adnan; Ayshah Al-Rashidi; Kaïss Aouadi; Siwar Ghannay; Ozgur Ceylan; Vincenzo De Feo; Adel Kadri

doi:10.3390/plants11040495

Phytochemical Profiling of Allium subhirsutum L. Aqueous Extract with Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm, and Anti-Quorum Sensing Properties: In Vitro and In Silico Studies

Plants (Basel). 2022 Feb 11;11(4):495. doi: 10.3390/plants11040495.

Authors

Mejdi Snoussi^{1

2}, Emira Noumi^{1

3}, Hafed Hajlaoui⁴, Lamjed Bouslama⁵, Assia Hamdi⁶, Mohd Saeed¹, Mousa Alreshidi¹, Mohd Adnan¹, Ayshah Al-Rashidi¹, Kaïss Aouadi^{7

8}, Siwar Ghannay⁷, Ozgur Ceylan⁹, Vincenzo De Feo¹⁰, Adel Kadri^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, P.O. Box 2440, Ha'il 2440, Saudi Arabia.
² Laboratory of Genetics, Biodiversity and Valorisation of Bioressources, High Institute of Biotechnology, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia.
³ Laboratory of Bioressources: Integrative Biology and Recovery, High Institute of Biotechnology, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia.
⁴ Research Unit Valorization and Optimization of Resource Exploitation (UR16ES04), Faculty of Science and Technology of Sidi Bouzid, Campus University Agricultural City, University of Kairouan, Sidi Bouzid 9100, Tunisia.
⁵ Laboratory of Bioactive Substances, Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria (CBBC), BP 901, Hammam Lif 2050, Tunisia.
⁶ Laboratoire de Développement Chimique Galénique et Pharmacologique des Médicaments, Faculté' de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia.
⁹ Ula Ali Kocman Vocational School, Mugla SitkiKocman University, Mugla 48147, Turkey.
¹⁰ Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano, 84084 Salerno, Italy.
¹¹ Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Arts in Baljurashi, Albaha University, Albaha 65731, Saudi Arabia.
¹² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P. 1171, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.

Abstract

The present study was the first to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-quorum sensing potential of Allium subhirsutum L. (hairy garlic) aqueous extract through in vitro and in silico studies. The phytochemical profile revealed the presence of saponins, terpenes, flavonols/flavonones, flavonoids, and fatty acids, particularly with flavonoids (231 ± 0.022 mg QE/g extract), tannins (159 ± 0.006 mg TAE/g extract), and phenols (4 ± 0.004 mg GAE/g extract). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified 15 bioactive compounds, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (37.04%), methyl methanethiolsulfonate (21.33%), furfural (7.64%), beta-D-glucopyranose, 1,6-anhydro- (6.17%), 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucofuranose (3.6%), trisulfide, di-2-propenyl (2.70%), and diallyl disulfide (1.93%). The extract was found to be non-toxic with 50% cytotoxic concentration higher than 30,000 µg/mL. The investigation of the antioxidant activity via DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (IC₅₀ = 1 μg/mL), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid); IC₅₀ = 0.698 ± 0.107 μg/mL), and β-carotene (IC₅₀ = 0.811 ± 0.036 mg/mL) was assessed. Nevertheless, good antimicrobial potential against a diverse panel of microorganisms with bacteriostatic and fungistatic effect was observed. Quorum sensing inhibition effects were also assessed, and the data showed the ability of the extract to inhibit the production of violacein by the mutant C. violaceum strain in concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, the biofilm formation by all tested strains was inhibited at low concentrations. In silico pharmacokinetic and toxicological prediction indicated that, out of the sixteen identified compounds, fourteen showed promising drug ability and could be used as lead compounds for further development and drug design. Hence, these findings support the popular use of hairy garlic as a source of bioactive compounds with potential application for human health.

Keywords: Allium subhirsutum L.; anti-quorum sensing; antibiofilm; antimicrobial; antioxidant; pharmacokinetics; phytochemistry; toxicological prediction.

Grants and funding

RG-20141/Scientific Research Deanship at University of Ha'il-Saudi Arabia