Assessment of antibacterial, nematicidal and herbicidal activities of Cautleya spicata (Sm.) Baker extracts, with chemical profiling using GC-MS

The pesticidal activity of the rhizome and aerial parts of Cautleya spicata (Sm.) Baker was investigated, revealing significant findings. The GC-MS analysis revealed significant compositional variability among the extracts. β-Sitosterol was identified as the dominant compound in all extracts prepared with hexane, acetone, and methanol, while α-humulene was prominently present in the rhizome extracts. The methanolic extracts of C. spicata demonstrated substantial nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita and herbicidal activity against seeds of Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. Sativus (L.) (Radish) and Cichorium intybus L. (Chicory). Additionally, the extracts exhibited effective antibacterial activities against four bacterial strains, including Salmonella enterica serotype typhi, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. In-silico molecular docking studies identified stigmasterol as exhibiting the best binding affinities with the studied proteins. These results highlight the potential of C. spicata extracts as promising candidates for the development of botanical pesticides and antibacterial agents.