Delving into the enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant potential of Clinopodium vulgare subsp. arundanum: an untapped botanical resource

Abstract

Understanding the bioactive potential of Clinopodium vulgare subsp. arundanum extracts holds promise for natural antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory applications. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory capacities of water, methanol, and ethyl acetate extracts of C. vulgare subsp. arundanum. Using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), each extract's phytochemical profile was characterized, revealing the methanol extract as particularly rich in total phenolic (110.9 mg GAEs/g) and flavonoid content (38.49 mg REs/g), while the water and ethyl acetate extracts contained moderate-to-low phenolic levels. Antioxidant activities, assessed through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, consistently ranked methanol extract as the most effective (DPPH: 340.17 mg TEs/g; CUPRAC: 533.57 mg TEs/g), attributable to phenolics like rosmarinic acid (48,370 mu g/g) and hesperidin (832 mu g/g). In metal chelation, the water extract demonstrated superior activity (11.83 mg EDTAEs/g). Enzyme inhibition assays revealed notable acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities in the ethyl acetate extract, with values of 3.33 mg and 2.32 mg GALAEs/g, respectively, possibly linked to specific solvent-extracted bioactives. The observed variations in bioactivity among the extracts can be attributed to the differing polarity and solvent properties, which influence the solubility and extraction efficiency of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Future research should prioritize compound isolation to identify specific inhibitors and test these extracts' in vivo effects, extending the therapeutic insights into C. vulgare subsp. arundanum's pharmacological applications.