Lavandula Angustifolia Mill. as a Natural Source of Antimicrobials: Insights from Phytochemical and Biodiversity Studies

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (wild), commonly known as English lavender, is an aromatic medicinal herb known for its essential oils and wide pharmacological applications. The present study investigates the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activity of various solvent extracts from wild-grown L. angustifolia to explore its potential as a natural antimicrobial agent. Plant parts (leaves and flowers) were shade-dried, powdered, and extracted using ethanol, methanol, chloroform, and hexane. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of major secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, and glycosides. Quantitative analysis showed that the total phenolic content (TPC) was highest in the ethanolic extract of leaves (92.4 ± 2.1 mg GAE/g), followed by methanolic extract (81.3 ± 1.8 mg GAE/g). Total flavonoid content (TFC) was also highest in ethanolic extract (76.5 ± 1.6 mg Rutin/g). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The ethanolic extract showed the maximum inhibition zone against S. aureus (22.3 ± 1.2 mm), followed by E. coli (19.8 ± 1.0 mm) and C. albicans (17.6 ± 0.9 mm). Methanolic extracts also exhibited significant inhibition, whereas chloroform and hexane extracts showed moderate to low activity. These findings confirm that wild L. angustifolia is a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals with potent antimicrobial properties and could serve as a promising candidate for developing plant-based antimicrobial therapeutics.