Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 27 No. 2 (2026)

Phytochemical profile, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of Peperomia pellucida leaves revealed by GC-MS and molecular docking

SUBAKIR SALNUS (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar. Jl. Daeng Tata, Makassar 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
ABDUL WAHID WAHAB (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
MUHARRAM MUHARRAM (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar. Jl. Daeng Tata, Makassar 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
RUGAIYAH ANDI ARFAH (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
SYAHRUDDIN KASIM (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
ARINI RAJAB (Department of Environmental Pollution Control Engineering Technology, Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Samarinda. Jl. Samratulangi, Samarinda 75131, East Kalimantan, Indonesia)
ABDUR RAHMAN ARIF (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
ZULFIAN ARMAH (Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Politeknik Kesehatan Makassar. Jl. Wijaya Kusuma Raya No. 46, Makassar 90222, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
RIZAL IRFANDI (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar. Jl. Daeng Tata, Makassar 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
MUHAMMAD NUR ALAM (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar. Jl. Daeng Tata, Makassar 90224, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)
M. YASSER (Department of Chemical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Apr 2026

Abstract

Abstract. Salnus S, Wahab AW, Muharram, Arfah RA, Kasim S, Rajab A, Arif AR, Armah Z, Irfandi R, Alam MN, Yasser M. 2026. Phytochemical profile, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of Peperomia pellucida leaves revealed by GC-MS and molecular docking. Biodiversitas 27 (2): d270219. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d270219. A comprehensive analysis of the methanol extract of Peperomia pellucida leaves was conducted using various analytical techniques, revealing a complex profile of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic applications. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified 43 bioactive compounds within the extract, with sesquiterpenoids emerging as the predominant class of compounds. The major components identified were dillapiole (41.77%), N,N'-diacridin-9-yl-hydrazine (7.44%), and caryophyllene (6.94%), highlighting the diverse chemical composition of the extract. This extract demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains, indicating its potential as a natural antimicrobial agent. Notably, it exhibited moderate effects against Klebsiella pneumoniae. The largest inhibition zone was observed against Staphylococcus aureus (14 mm), followed by Salmonella typhi (12 mm), Shigella sp. (12 mm), and Escherichia coli (11 mm). The smallest inhibition zone was recorded for K. pneumoniae (10 mm), indicating a moderate susceptibility, suggesting its possible application in treating infections caused by this pathogen. Furthermore, the extract showed remarkable antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 4.30 µg/mL, underscoring its potential as a natural source of antioxidants. Molecular docking analysis provided insights into the mechanism of action of the components of the extract. Dillapiole, the most abundant compound (41.77%), displayed a strong binding affinity (-70.53 kJ/mol) for S. aureus proteins, suggesting its potential as a lead compound for developing novel antibacterial agents, particularly against S. aureus infections. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of polyphenolic functional groups in the extract, further supporting its antioxidant properties. Overall, these results demonstrate that P. pellucida possesses potent antimicrobial and antioxidant activities linked to its diverse phytochemical composition. These findings highlight P. pellucida as a promising source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials that support biodiversity-based drug discovery and underscore the importance of conserving medicinal plant resources for future therapeutic development.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

biodiv

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology

Description

The Biodiversitas Journal was first published in 2000 by the Department of Biology, FMNS, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia, then in 2006 it was co-published by the Society for Indonesian Biodiversity and that department; since 2017 it was also hosted by Smujo. From 2003-2012 it was ...