GC‐MS and HPTLC Fingerprinting Analysis and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Naga Chilli: An In Vitro and In Silico Approach

Abstract

Naga chilli (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) have garnered significant attention due to the plant's possible health benefits and variety of phytochemical components. Utilizing cutting‐edge analytical techniques such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and high‐performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) in conjunction with bioautography, this study conducts a thorough phytochemical profiling and biological activity assessment of the Naga chilli plant. An in silico docking study was performed for all the bioactive compounds identified through GC‐MS against dihydrofolate reductase, a critical enzyme for bacterial survival. Many important components were identified and quantified with the help of subsequent GC‐MS and HPTLC analysis. Among them, capsaicinoids were found to be the most prevalent. GC‐MS results showed nonadecane (21.28%), 1‐dimethyl(phenyl)silyloxypentane (14.53%), capsaicin (13.55%) and 2‐pentanone, 4‐hydroxy‐4‐methyl‐ (11.42%) were the most prevalent. HPTLC report showed capsaicin was 0.833 mg/g of fresh weight of Naga chilli. This study showed good docking scores for some of the constituents, particularly capsaicin, indicating that this plant is a good candidate for antimicrobial activity. This activity of the extract confirms the docking results, which needs to be in focus for further antimicrobial drug development.