LAUSR

Abstract Introduction The present investigation is aimed at evaluating antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer properties of leaf extracts of Capparis brevispina DC (CB). The plant CB has many medicinal properties and is used as a traditional medicine in India, but to date, no scientific validation has been reported. Methods The plant (CB) leaves were dried under shade and extracted using four different solvents sequentially, in the ascending order of polarity by using Soxhlet apparatus. These extracts were subjected to phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial (well diffusion), antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, and phosphomolybdenum method) and anticancer (MTT assay) studies. Results In the antimicrobial study, different extracts of CB showed minimum inhibition against Gram-negative bacteria and selected fungi, but resistance against Gram-positive bacteria. Of the various extracts, ethanol and water extracts showed good antioxidant activity using all the three methods. The flavonoid and phenolic content of water extracts were higher when compared to all other extracts, hence the aqueous extracts was analyzed for its anticancer activity against HeLa cell line by MTT assay. The results showed a reasonable anticancer nature of the water extract of CB leaves (IC50 = 52.0 μg/mL). Conclusion The phytochemicals or their combination which is present in aqueous extract of CB may be responsible for the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the plant.