DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v27i1.20

Keywords: Lindera subumbelliflora; Lauraceae; phytochemical; antibioflm; Streptococcus mutans

Abstract

The genus Lindera, part of the Lauraceae family, is found throughout Asia and Midwestern America and has been used in traditional medicine to treat various health issues, including pain, cold, and gastrointestinal and urinary conditions. This study focusses on analysing the phytochemicals from Lindera subumbellifora root extracts and assessing their antibiofilm activity. The phytochemicals were obtained using column chromatography techniques and characterised by spectroscopy methods (IR, MS, and NMR) and comparison with literature. Antibiofilm activity was determined using a semiquantitative static biofilm assay. The compounds were extracted by cold extraction with solvents (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol) and isolated by column chromatography. Spectroscopy (IR, MS, NMR) identified eight compounds, including 5,6-dehydrokawain (1), pinostrobin (2), β-sitosterol (3), pinocembrin (4), ferulic acid (5), quercetin (6), syringic acid (7) and apocynin (8). The methanolic root extract showed strong inhibition (99.2%) against Streptococcus mutans, and quercetin demonstrated significant inhibitory effects against Streptococcus mutans (I: 98.4%) and Candida albicans (I: 45.7%). Molecular docking studies further examined the binding interactions of these compounds with lanosterol 14α-demethylase (Erg11), supporting their potential antifungal benefits. These findings highlight the effectiveness of Lindera extracts in preventing oral biofilm formation and suggest the potential for therapeutic applications in drug development.