Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant capacities, and in vitro biological activities of the extract of seed coat as by-products of pea

Converting seed coat peas (hulls) (SCP) into beneficial products provides a solution for waste treatment. This study aimed to investigate the phytoconstituents and biological activities of SCP extract. Phytochemical screening, total bioactive compounds, and GC–MS analysis were evaluated. Then, the antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral activities of SCP extract were determined. The results demonstrate that SCP extract has bioactive compounds such as carbohydrates (29.53 ± 4.23 mg/mL), protein (0.24 ± 0.02 mg/mL), phenolics (27.04 ± 0.94 mg GAE/g extract), and flavonoids (17.19 ± 0.48 mg QE/g extract). The existence of more than 16 substances was determined using GC–MS analysis. The extract showed potential antioxidant activities, with the maximum activity seen for extract (IC50 µg/mL) = 79.16 ± 1.77 for DPPH, 67.40 ± 5.20 for ORAC, and 61.22 ± 4.81 for ABTS assays. The SCP extract showed potent antimicrobial activity against four gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Streptomyces sp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella sp.) and two gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp.). SCP extract exhibited potential anticancer activity against lymphoma U937 and leukemic cells (THP1). The extract exhibited potential antiviral activity, with a selectivity index (SI) equal to 11.30 and 18.40 against herpes simplex-II (HSV-2) and adenovirus (Ad7), respectively. The results demonstrate more accurate information about peas by-products' chemical and antioxidant activities in various applications. The chemical components of peas by-products were found to have an in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral activity against leukemia and lymphoma.