Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant Capacity, and Antibacterial properties of Balanites Aegyptiaca Leaves (Desert Date) from Bor Town, Jonglei State, South Sudan

Introduction: Balanites aegyptiaca is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine, particularly in Africa and southern Asia, for the treatment of infectious diseases and oxidative stress-related conditions, including diarrhea, dysentery, anthrax, wounds, and malignant infections. This study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity and Antibacterial activity of the aqua-ethanol extract of Balanites aegyptiaca leaves using qualitative screening and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Methods: Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were conducted using standard procedures. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay and the β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assay. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae using agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. LC-MS/MS analysis was performed to identify the major bioactive constituents. Results: Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, phenols, terpenoids, and carbohydrates, while steroids and proteins were absent. Phenolic compounds were the predominant constituents (42.50 ± 0.01 mg/g extract), followed by flavonoids (35.80 ± 0.02 mg/g), saponins (31.20 ± 0.03 mg/g), and tannins (28.40 ± 0.03 mg/g). The extract exhibited concentration-dependent antioxidant activity, with DPPH radical scavenging increasing from 34.80% to 57.00% and an IC₅₀ value of 33.64 ± 0.04 μg/mL, compared with 19.65 ± 0.02 μg/mL for ascorbic acid. In the β-carotene-linoleic acid assay, antioxidant inhibition increased from 35% to 85%, approaching the activity of BHT (40–92%). The extract also demonstrated concentration-dependent antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones of 16.0–20.0 mm at 100 mg/mL. Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible organism, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the least susceptible. MIC and MBC values ranged from 20–30 mg/mL and 40–60 mg/mL, respectively. LC-MS/MS analysis identified quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, and balanitin-6 as major bioactive constituents. Conclusion: The aqueous-ethanolic leaf extract of Balanites aegyptiaca is rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds and exhibits appreciable antioxidant and broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. The identified phytochemicals likely contribute to these biological properties, supporting the potential use of B. aegyptiaca leaves as a natural source of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.