Comparative Phytochemical, Antimicrobial Analysis of Syzygium Cumini (Seed) and Allium Cepa (Pulp) for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Phytochemical analysis of extracts from Syzygium cumini seeds and Allium cepa pulp, both acknowledged for their abundance of bioactive compounds, explained their chemical properties. Both extracts showed light absorption in the visible spectrum, with maximum absorbance at 400 nm for S. cumini and 420 nm for A. cepa, indicating the presence of conjugated bonds and chromophores. FTIR analysis identified peaks at 3288, 3257, and 3339 cm⁻¹, corresponding to O–H stretching vibrations, signifying hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups typical of alcohols and phenolics. The agar well diffusion method assessed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. S. cumini demonstrated a larger inhibition zone, especially against C. albicans (15.0 ± 0.0 mm) and S. aureus (14.0 ± 0.0 mm), while A. cepa was more effective against E. coli (15.0 ± 0.0 mm). One-way ANOVA showed significant differences for E. coli (p = 0.0270) and C. albicans (p = 0.0168), but not S. aureus (p = 0.3040). These results indicate that phenolic-rich ethanolic extracts of both plants have complementary antimicrobial activity, supporting their potential in polyherbal formulations for various biomedical conditions, including infectious, metabolic, diabetic, and neurodegenerative disorders.