Comparative HPLC-Based Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities, and Multivariate PCA Analysis of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Moroccan Dysphania ambrosioides

This study compared the HPLC-derived phytochemical profiles of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Moroccan Dysphania ambrosioides ( D. ambrosioides ) and explored the relationships between phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activity using principal component analysis (PCA). Aqueous extracts generally showed higher total phenolic contents, with the Casablanca aqueous extract recording the highest value (11.5 ± 0.4 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g extract ), followed by Meknes (9.1 ± 0.4 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g extract ), whereas Rabat showed the lowest level (3.5 ± 0.4 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g extract ). In contrast, total flavonoid content was highest in the Rabat aqueous extract (29.2 ± 0.01 mg Quercetin equivalent/g extract ) and remained high in the Casablanca ethanolic extract (27.5 ± 0.1 mg Quercetin equivalent/g extract ), while Meknes extracts displayed the lowest levels. HPLC identified more than fifteen bioactive compounds, including gallic, caffeic, vanillic, syringic, ferulic, and p -Coumaric acids; apigenin was consistently found in all aqueous extracts. Both extract types inhibited the tested microorganisms, but the Rabat aqueous extract showed the strongest activity, particularly against Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Candida albicans . PCA revealed clear clustering by geographic origin and solvent, and strong positive associations between phenolic constituents and biological activities. These findings support D. ambrosioides as a promising source of bioactive phenolic compounds, particularly in aqueous extracts, where apigenin was consistently detected and may contribute, together with other phenolic constituents, to the observed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.