Comparative Study of Biological Activities of Leaf Extracts from Wild <em>Verbascum sinuatum</em>,<em> Amaranthus spinosus</em>, <em>Carduus getulus</em> and <em>Heterotheca subaxillaris</em> in the Gaza Strip, Palestine
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Underexplored medicinal plants serve as valuable reservoirs of bioactive compounds that exhibit complex synergistic interactions whose therapeutic potential is increasingly rec-ognized. In the current study, the antimicrobial activity, antioxidant potential, and Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) phytochemical screening of four medici-nal plants (Verbascum sinuatum, Amaranthus spinosus, Carduus getulus, and Heterotheca sub-axillaris) from the Gaza Strip in Palestine were investigated. For a comprehensive phyto-chemical characteristic, an analysis using GC-MS was conducted using the hexane ex-tracts of each species. For the purpose of evaluating the antioxidant active ingredients, the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were measured. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test was utilized to assess antioxidant activity, while the method of disc diffusion was applied to evaluate antibacterial activity. GC-MS analysis revealed various lipophilic compounds in all species, including fatty acid esters, terpenoids, phenols, and polyacetylenes. V. sinuatum was dominated by three major con-stituents: saturated fatty acid esters, phenolic antioxidants, and a putative alkaloid. A. spinosus contained six compounds representing oxygenated monoterpenes, fatty acid de-rivatives, and aromatic compounds. Ten compounds in C. getulus represented predomi-nantly monoterpenes, diterpenes, fatty acid derivatives, and phenolic antioxidants. H. subaxillaris had eight primary metabolites dominated by terpenoids, specialized fatty acid esters, and phenolic compounds. V. sinuatum and C. getulus showed moderate bioactivity, possibly due to the synergism of fatty acid esters and diterpenoid–phenol combinations, while the monoterpenoid-rich extract of A. spinosus possessed relatively weak effects. These results make H. subaxillaris a promising candidate for developing natural products, especially to combat resistant pathogens. These plants' chemical diversity and overall bi-ological activity emphasize their potential for pharmaceutical applications and warrant further mechanistic exploration.