Phytochemical Characterization and Bioefficacy Studies of Blastania cerasiformis and Blastania garcinii for Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activities

Blastania species are neglected, unexplored and ethanomedicinaly important wild cucurbits. The present study was conducted to explore nutraceutical potential of two Blastania species that is Blastania cerasiformis (Stocks) A. Meeuse and Blastania garcinii (Burm.f.) Cogn. The study was extensively carried out with different plant parts (leaves, unripened fruits, ripened fruits) extracted with solvents (acetone, ethanol, methanol, water). The results highlighted the highest nutritional potential from B. cerasiformis ripened fruits with an energy value (268 ± 1.06 kcal/100 g). Phytochemical analysis revealed the excellency of unripened fruits for high phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, terpenoid and alkaloid content. Antioxidant assays highlighted the antioxidant richness of fruits of Blastania species than leaves. B. garcinii leaves acetone extract was found efficient for the maximum α-amylase inhibition (68.83%) and α-glucosidase inhibition (35.06%) activities. The maximum anticancer activity was recorded from B. cerasiformis ripened fruits (IC50 39.21 µg/ml). Blastania species have exhibited significant antimicrobial activity (0.1–4.0 mm) against 11 human pathogenic microbes. Fatty acid profiling revealed the presence of 24 fatty acids from Blastania species. GC–MS analysis of methanolic extracts recorded 43 bioactive compounds having wide range of biological properties. Principal component analysis exhibited a positive correlation between tested phytochemical, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. The results have significantly proven the medicinal potential of Blastania species against reactive oxygen species, diabetes, cancer and human pathogenic microbes. Further detailed study is needed to establish Blastania species as a novel source of nutraceutical and medicinal drugs.