Nature’s Pharmacy In The Highlands: Extraction And Profiling Of Bioactive Principles From Euphorbia Nivulia Of Vythiri, Kerala, India

Abstract

Euphorbia nivulia, is an Ethno-medicinal plant from Vythiri Taluk, Wayanad District, Kerala, India, has been employed in treating various human and animal ailments. The present investigation aimed to assess its antimicrobial potential and to identify and characterize its phytochemical constituents using advanced techniques such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS-MS). Antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated using the disc diffusion method against opportunistic microbes such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative), as well as Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). The methanolic leaf extract of E. nivulia exhibited significant antibacterial activity. LC/MS-MS analysis revealed a rich phytochemical profile dominated by alkaloids and flavonoids, compounds recognized for their diverse biological properties. HPLC profiling identified five major peaks, suggesting the presence of potentially novel metabolites and bioactive principles. The findings observed inhibition zones ranged from 2.7 to 3.3 cm in very lower concentration and emphasized that the therapeutic effect of Euphorbia nivulia as a natural source of antimicrobial agents and support its continued investigation for development of phytopharmaceutical agents.