Targeted Phenolic Profiling, Antioxidant Activities, and Enzyme Inhibition Potential of Campanula lyrata subsp. lyrata Extracts With Molecular Docking Insights

Abstract

The growing interest in plant-based bioactives has intensified research into their therapeutic potential. This study investigated the chemical profile, antioxidant properties, and enzyme inhibitory effects of methanol extracts from Campanula lyrata subsp. lyrata, obtained via maceration (MAC-ME), Soxhlet (SOE-ME), and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE-ME). Among the extracts, MAC-ME contained the highest total phenolic (41.76 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (23.68 mg RE/g) contents. In antioxidant assays, SOE-ME exhibited the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50: 1.17 mg/mL), while all extracts displayed comparable reducing power in CUPRAC and FRAP assays (EC50: 0.50-0.77 mg/mL), indicating moderate antioxidant potential. Enzyme inhibition results revealed that SOE-ME showed the most potent AChE (IC50: 1.18 +/- 0.03 mg/mL) and tyrosinase (IC50: 1.45 +/- 0.01 mg/mL) inhibition, whereas MAC-ME demonstrated the highest alpha-amylase inhibition (IC50: 2.11 +/- 0.01 mg/mL). These findings suggest selective bioactivity profiles depending on the extraction technique. Molecular docking supported the in vitro results, showing strong binding affinities of chlorogenic acid (Delta G = -9.25 kcal/mol for AChE) and hesperidin (Delta G = -9.05 kcal/mol for alpha-amylase), with simultaneous docking indicating potential synergistic interactions (Delta G up to -12.65 kcal/mol). Overall, the extracts-especially SOE-ME-demonstrated promising multi-target bioactivity, underscoring the pharmacological potential of C. lyrata subsp. lyrata in managing oxidative stress and enzyme-related disorders.