Spondias mombin: biosafety and GC–MS analysis of anti-viral compounds from crude leaf extracts

Essential oils are combinations of naturally occurring phytochemicals that, alone or in synergy with other compounds, can therapeutically attenuate disease-causing viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and Marburg viruses. This study aimed to investigate the biosafety of and identification of antiviral phytochemicals of Spondias mombin (Linn) leaf crude extracts by GC–MS analysis. GC–MS analysis showed that the compound concentrations were dependent on the polarity of extracting solvent SMH (34), SMDCM (36), SMEA (12), SME (50) and SMM (36). Toluene (15.13%) and di-isooctyl phthalate (14.21%) were identified as the basic constituents of SMH. In SMDCM, n-nonadecanol-1 (19.64%) and eicosane (13.93%) were the main compounds, while in SMEA it was ethanol, 2-butoxy-(83.29%). Both SME and SMM showed the presence of Tetradecyl trifluoroacetate (15.43%). Pentadecanoic acid (12.18%), Propane, 2,2-diethoxy- (33.83%) and o-Xylene (15.87%). The identified antiviral compounds in the crude extracts, were d-Limonene (1.33%), p-Cymene (1.31%), Thymol (0.50%) and Carvacrol (0.87%) in SMM and SMH extracts, with Phytol, acetate being a common constituent in all the essential oils, except SMEA. In vitro cytotoxicity studies of crude S. mombin leaf extracts were performed using the MTT method in three cell lines: MCF-7, A-549 and HEK-293, with IC50 values between 15.91 and 178.5 μg/mL. Therefore, the results indicated that crude extracts from S. mombin leafs had low toxicity and could be used safely. Compared with hexane extracts (1), methanol extracts have more compounds with antiviral properties (3) and can be used as reusable therapeutic candidates, natural dietary supplements or in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, Ebola and Marburg viruses. This can be valuable in pharmaceutical preparations of drug candidates for the treatment of these viruses.