In East Africa, Dodonaea angustifolia (L.f.) is a well-known medicinal herb. Its leaf is primarily studied in light of its ethnobotanical use. In terms of phytochemistry and biological activity, its flower is not studied. In a prior study, our team looked into phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic levels. This study aims to compare the profiles and biological activities of the leaf and flower samples of D. angustifolia and to present therapeutic alternatives. The leaf and flower sample powders were extracted with methanol using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). HPTLC profile was obtained using CAMAG—HPTLC equipped with VisionCATS software. Antimicrobial agar well diffusion assay and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) were determined. The leaf and flower extracts of D. angustifolia showed antibacterial activity with a MIC value of 20 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes. Similarly, 40 µg/mL was found to be effective against Aspergillus flavus. D. angustifolia flower is a rich source of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Because of its antibacterial properties and profile, which are almost the same, the flower is emerging as a viable option for medicinal alternatives.

Shigellosis is one of the major causes of death in children worldwide. Flavonoids and phenolic acids are expected to demonstrate anti-shigellosis activity and anti-diarrheal properties. The aerial part of A. integrifolia is commonly used against diarrhea. This study aimed to identify flavonoids and phenolic acids responsible for this therapeutic purpose. Antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content were determined. The antibacterial activity of the aerial part against Shigella spp. was also tested using the agar well diffusion method. HPLC analysis was performed using UHPLC-DAD for different extracts of the aerial part. Autodock Vina in the PyRx platform was used to screen responsible components. Ciprofloxacin was used as a reference drug. An enzyme taking part in pyrimidine biosynthesis was used as a target protein. Molecular docking results were visualized using Discovery Studio and LigPlot1.4.5 software. Antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content are more significant for the aerial part of A. integrifolia. From HPLC analysis, the presence of the flavonoids, quercetin, myricetin, and rutin and the phenolic acids gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and syringic acid were identified from the aerial part of A. integrifolia. Regarding the antibacterial activity, the aerial part shows considerable activity against Shigella spp. Binding energies, RMSD and Ki values, interaction type, and distance are considered to identify the components most likely responsible for the therapeutic effects and observed activity. Antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content of the aerial part are in line with anti-shigellosis activity. The top five components that are most likely potentially responsible for therapeutic purposes and anti-shigellosis activity are chlorogenic acid, rutin, dihydroquercetin, dihydromyricetin, and kaempferol.

Salix subserrata is one of the traditional chewing sticks used commonly in Ethiopia. It is also used traditionally against rabies and other infections. There has been no comprehensive research on the biological activity of this plant to demonstrate its role in maintaining oral health. Given the compounds previously isolated from this species, this study aims to predict which extracts among the four solvents are responsible for promoting oral health. The phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of the leaves, stem, and stem bark extracted with four different solvents were evaluated using standard methods. The EC50 of the extracts was tested with the DPPH assay, and the silicon content of the stem was determined by a gravimetric method. The antibacterial activity was tested using an agar well diffusion method at different test concentrations of (mg/ml) crude extracts and MIC/MBC were determined using the microdilution method. Physicochemical and ADME properties were determined using the SwissADME online server. PASS online was used to predict biological activities related to the oral health of the compounds previously isolated from the plant. The antioxidant activity, in terms of EC50, of the leaves of S. subserrata was comparable to that of the standard reference, ascorbic acid. The silicon content in the stem extract of the plant was found to be 0.24%. The leaves of S. subserrata exhibited higher levels of total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to other parts of the plant. Hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts of S. subserrata were found to be active against the Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus faecalis) which are known to be responsible for foodborne infections. Among the previously reported compounds from S. subserrata, catechin, quercetin, saligenin, catechol, gallocatechin, salicin, and triandrin were found to be predicted for the strong antioxidant, anti-infection, and anti-mucositis activities. All phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity results underscore the significance of plants traditionally used as chewing sticks. The roles of previously isolated compounds in maintaining oral health were also predicted, though toxicity tests and comprehensive profiling of the extracts necessitate further investigation.