Reimagining invasive weeds through a preliminary antibacterial and phytochemical evaluation of Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth floral and seed ethereal extracts

Plant specialized metabolites have emerged as key targets in natural products research for their broad bioactivities and potential in novel drug discovery, such as antibiotics. Regrettably, the reliance on vegetal sources often raises ecological concerns, prompting a shift toward alternative species with no conservation constraints—among them, the invasive weed Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth. With limited studies on I. purpurea non-polar metabolites and easy access to its floral and seed material, this study preliminarily explored the antibacterial activity of its ethereal extracts using agar diffusion and microdilution assays, complemented by phytochemically screening their metabolites through conventional methods (i.e., qualitative tests, TLC) and GC-MS molecular networking. Flower and seed extracts showed distinct antibacterial activity against model Gram-negative (E. coli ATCC 25922) and Gram-positive (S. aureus ATCC 25923) reference strains, with the seed extract notably inhibiting S. aureus (MIC = 193 mg/mL). Both shared key phytochemicals, namely coumarins, phytosterols, and terpenoids. Molecular networking showed alkanes, fatty acids and derivatives, and ethers as dominant metabolites in both extracts, with the seed extract exhibiting a higher haloalkanes, phytosterols, and terpenoid count. Six and eight known antibacterial specialized metabolites were identified in the flower and seed extract, respectively. These findings highlight the phytochemical potential of invasive species like I. purpurea as alternative sources of bioactive compounds.