Thin layer chromatography-direct bioautography guided isolation of β-sitosterol from the leaves of Capparis fascicularis.

The aim of the study was to isolate and characterise antimicrobial agents from the leaves of Capparis fascicularis using thin-layer chromatography-direct bioautography (TLC-DB). Capparis fascicularis is a medicinal plant used traditionally to treat various ailments. Previous studies have shown that species of the genus Capparis, contain several classes of secondary metabolites, including sterols. In this study, the leaves of C. fascicularis were extracted with 80% aqueous methanol, and the extract's fractions were screened for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 using a broth micro-dilution assay. The hexane fraction was the most active, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 512 µg/mL. TLC-DB and flash column chromatography of the hexane fraction resulted in the isolation of β-Sitosterol for the first time from C. fascicularis. The compound was characterised using NMR and HRMS.