article · Scientific Reports
Giant fennel fruit extracts were analysed to determine their chemical constituents, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial effectiveness. Using seven different solvents, the investigation evaluated the plant fruit through laboratory testing and computational modelling. Chemical profiling identified fifteen distinct compounds, dominated by p-coumaric acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, sinapic acid, and syringic acid. Among the solvents assessed, ethanol yielded extracts with the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents, alongside the strongest antioxidant performance. In antimicrobial screenings, the fruit extracts demonstrated advanced inhibition against gram-negative bacterial pathogens, specifically Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis, as well as variable activity against tested fungal strains. Furthermore, molecular docking simulations mapped interactions between the identified compounds and target proteins linked to antioxidant and antimicrobial responses, offering computational evidence that supports the traditional medicinal applications of the plant.
Giant fennel is widely recognised as a superfood, yet scientific investigations into its fruit have remained limited compared to its roots and aerial parts. Demonstrating that fruit extracts possess potent antioxidant properties and suppress harmful gram-negative bacteria validates traditional medicinal practices and highlights a potential plant-based source for addressing oxidative stress and microbial infections.
The findings could aid researchers and product formulators in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors seeking botanical sources for antimicrobial or antioxidant products. Ethanol extraction represents an accessible processing route for obtaining bioactive fractions. However, as the research is restricted to laboratory-based in vitro testing and in silico docking simulations, this work represents an early discovery phase that is distant from clinical testing or real-world commercial application.
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Although giant fennel is recognized as a "superfood" rich in phytochemicals with antioxidant activity, research into the antibacterial properties of its fruits has been relatively limited, compared to studies involving the root and aerial parts of the plant. In this study, seven solvents-acetone, methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform, water, and hexane-were used to extract the chemical constituents of the fruit of giant fennel (Ferula communis), a species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae. Specific attributes of these extracts were investigated using in silico simulations and in vitro bioassays. High-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) identified 15 compounds in giant fennel extract, with p-coumaric acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, sinapic acid, and syringic acid being dominant. Among the solvents tested, ethanol demonstrated superior antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid contents. F. communis extracts showed advanced inhibition of gram-negative pathogens (Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis) and variable antifungal activity against tested strains. Molecular docking simulations assessed the antioxidative, antibacterial, and antifungal properties of F. communis, facilitating innovative therapeutic development through predicted compound-protein interactions. In conclusion, the results validate the ethnomedicinal use and potential of F. communis. This highlights its significance in natural product research and ethnopharmacology.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59087-3
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