Evaluation of Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antiviral, and Anticancer Potential of Extract from the Fern Dryopteris erythrosora

Recently, the use of plants and their extracts as rich sources of natural chemical compounds with pharmacological properties has become widespread. Therapy based on natural products derived from plants is gaining increasing attention, as—unlike many conventional treatments—it is generally associated with fewer adverse side effects. According to available data, approximately 25–50% of all drugs in clinical use are of plant origin . The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 11% of the 252 drugs classified as essential medicines are exclusively derived from plants, while a significant proportion of the remaining drugs are synthesized using natural precursors. Estimates suggest that more than half of the currently used anticancer and anti-infective drugs are of natural origin. These data clearly highlight the crucial role of bioactive plant-derived compounds in modern medicine . One example of a medicinal plant is Withania somnifera, commonly known as Ashwagandha, which is well known for its anticancer properties. In addition, it exhibits anxiolytic, antirheumatic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Another example is the extract of Achyranthes aspera, which has shown anticancer, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, diuretic, and wound-healing properties . Centaurium erythraea is a plant with a wide range of therapeutic effects. It is used in the treatment of diabetes, digestive disorders, pneumonia, and cardiovascular diseases . Studies have shown that Verbascum thapsus L. possesses antiviral, analgesic, sedative, antibacterial, and antifungal properties . The extract of Verbena officinalis is also widely used in traditional medicine, primarily due to its anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic, and anticonvulsant effects .

Many studies indicate the promising role of phytochemicals naturally contained in plants. Their main sources used by researchers are mainly angiosperms due to their widespread distribution and high biological diversity. Pteridophytes are much less popular, even though they are also used in traditional medicine and their healing properties have been known for centuries . Ferns are one of the oldest groups of vascular plants found around the world . They were the basis for hepatitis treatment in China, where many ferns are native species, including Dryopteris erythrosora, which also occurs naturally in Japan, where its popular name “Japanese red” comes from. This is related to the fact that young leaves of this plant are reddish; as the plant develops, they turn green, but in the fall, they have an orange–red shade again. The main components of pteridophytes that are believed to have healing properties are flavonoids and terpenoids. These groups of compounds are characterized by antioxidant properties playing an important role in anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antigenotoxic, and protective effects in neurodegenerative diseases