Comparative Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Rosa damascena Herrm. and Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton

Abstract

Rosa damascena Herrm. and Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton are important medicinal plants used since ancient times. These two plants are chosen for the present study to compare their bioactive potential under standardized conditions. The existing study explored the phytochemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antifungal actions of their ethanolic extracts. Qualitative tests have shown that there were alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, triterpenoids, and phenols in both species. Quantitative analysis showed that R. damascena exhibited higher phenolic content (35.98 ± 0.06 mgGAE/g), whereas J. sambac showed higher flavonoid content (49.00 ± 0.04 mgQE/g). FTIR spectroscopy revealed characteristic functional groups associated with various phytocompounds. The extract of R. damascena demonstrated stronger antioxidant and antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, as well as better antifungal activity against Aspergillus ochraceus, whereas J. sambac exhibited moderate activity. These findings establish that both these plants are promising sources of bioactive phytocompounds; advanced studies are essential to set apart active constituents with validation of their therapeutic applications.