Pharmacognostical Characterization, Bioactive Profiling, and In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antifungal Evaluation of Coccinia indica (Wight & Arn.)

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@article{1718803,
      author = {Vishal Kumar Yadav, Sunil Mistry, Abhay Kumar Verma, Anuradha Sahi},
      title = {Pharmacognostical Characterization, Bioactive Profiling, and In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antifungal Evaluation of Coccinia indica (Wight & Arn.)},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {12},
      pages = {979-990},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718803.pdf},
      abstract = {Background and Objectives: Coccinia indica (Wight & Arn.), a perennial dioecious climber of the family Cucurbitaceae, occupies a venerable position in Ayurvedic, Siddha, and folk pharmacopoeias for managing diabetes mellitus, dermatophytic infections, inflammatory disorders, and febrile conditions. Nevertheless, consolidated pharmacognostical monographs, advanced chromatographic fingerprints, and methodologically rigorous antimicrobial validations remain conspicuously deficient. The present investigation was therefore conceived to bridge these lacunae through an integrated, multidimensional pharmacognostical, phytochemical, and bioactivity assessment.
Methods: Authenticated plant material (leaves, stems, fruits, roots) was subjected to macroscopic, microscopic, and powder microscopic evaluation. Physicochemical constants were determined per WHO and Indian Pharmacopoeia norms. Successive solvent extraction was followed by qualitative phytochemical screening, quantitative estimation of total phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins, and chromatographic profiling via HPTLC, HPLC, GC-MS, and FTIR. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against five ATCC-referenced bacterial strains using disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. Antifungal efficacy was assessed against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum, and Microsporum canis using agar well diffusion and broth dilution techniques. Bioassay-guided fractionation was undertaken to isolate principal bioactive constituents.
Results: Microscopic evaluation delineated anomocytic stomata (stomatal index 22.4%), bicollateral vascular bundles, rosette and prismatic calcium oxalate crystals, and characteristic trichomes. The ethanolic leaf extract exhibited the richest phytochemical complement (total phenolic content: 82.4 ± 3.2 mg GAE/g; total flavonoid content: 45.6 ± 2.1 mg QE/g). HPLC quantified quercetin (2.18 mg/g), kaempferol (1.43 mg/g), gallic acid (3.87 mg/g), and β-sitosterol (3.56 mg/g). GC-MS identified 34 compounds including cucurbitacin B, lupeol, and β-amyrin. The ethanolic extract demonstrated maximal antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (zone of inhibition: 18.4 ± 0.6 mm; MIC: 62.5 µg/mL) and antifungal activity against C. albicans (17.6 ± 0.5 mm; MIC: 62.5 µg/mL). Bioassay-guided fractionation yielded five characterized compounds, including a potentially novel cucurbitane-type triterpene glycoside.
Conclusion: This investigation furnishes the first comprehensive pharmacognostical monograph, establishes chromatographic fingerprints for quality authentication, and provides scientifically robust validation of the ethnomedicinal antimicrobial and antifungal credentials of C. indica, thereby positioning it as a meritorious candidate for phytopharmaceutical development in the context of the escalating antimicrobial resistance crisis.},
      keywords = {Coccinia Indica, Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, HPTLC, HPLC, GC-MS, Antimicrobial, Antifungal, MIC, Quercetin, Cucurbitacin, Bioactive Profiling},
      month = {June},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1718803}
  }