RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access

Extraction optimization of medicinally important metabolites from Datura innoxia Mill.: an in vitro biological and phytochemical investigation Humaira Fatima1, Komal Khan1, Muhammad Zia2, Tofeeq Ur-Rehman1, Bushra Mirza3 and Ihsan-ul Haq1* Background: The present study aims to probe the impact of polarity dependent extraction efficiency variation on pharmacological spectrum of Datura innoxia Mill. in order to reconnoiter its underexplored therapeutic potential. Methods: A range of solvent extracts was subjected to phytochemical and biological assays to find the most proficient solvent system and plant part for each type of bioactivity. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined colorimetrically and specific polyphenols were quantified by HPLC-DAD analysis. The samples were biologically evaluated by employing multimode antioxidant, cytotoxic, protein kinase inhibition and antimicrobial assays. Results: Among all the solvents used, maximum percent extract recovery (33.28 %) was obtained in aqueous leaf extract. The highest amount of gallic acid equivalent phenolic and quercetin equivalent flavonoid content wa