A versatile untargeted metabolomics-driven technology for rapid phytochemical profiling of stem barks of Zanthoxylum species with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Abstract Zanthoxylum species are credited with various uses in ethnomedicine due to their rich metabolite composition. In Kenya, these include management of cancer and microbial related ailments. However, there limited reports showing how the bioactivity Kenyan is linked phytochemical profiles. This study therefore aimed at examining chemical variation among five found Kenya ( Z. chalybeum, gilletii, holtzianum, paracanthum usambarense ) using metabolomics approaches anti-oxidant antimicrobial activities species. a Folin–Ciocalteu test, phenolic content stem bark extracts were 73.083–145.272 mg TAE/g, while alkaloids (in bromothymol blue chromogenic test) flavonoids aluminium chloride be 152.39–207.19 ME/g, 109.416–186.413 CE/g, respectively. These also exerted strong antioxidant 2,2-iphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) ferric ion reducing power assays. broth dilution assay, extract holtzianum ability showed highest activity, followed by chalybeum extract. The positively correlated both concentrations, concentration phenolics had weak negative correlation activities. A chemometric analysis liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry profiles led grouping into three clusters. illustrates based on composition justifies wide usage traditional medicinal practices. Graphical abstract