Background:Panicum turgidum, desert grass, has not reported any detailed phytochemical or biological study as yetObjective:To establish P. turgidum secondary metabolite profile and to assess its antihepatotoxic effectMaterials and Methods:Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to quadrupole high-resolution time of flight mass spectrometry (qTOF-MS) was used for large-scale secondary metabolites profiling in P. turgidum extract, alongside assessing median lethal dose (LD50) and hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxicationResults:A total of 39 metabolites were identified with flavonoids as the major class present as O/C-glycosides of luteolin, apigenin, isorhamnetin and naringenin, most of which are first time to be reported in Panicum sp. Antihepatotoxic effect of P. turgidum crude extract was revealed via improving several biochemical marker levels and mitigation against oxidative stress in the serum and liver tissues, compared with CCl4 intoxicated group and further confirmed by histopathological examination.Conclusion:This study reveals that P. turgidum, enriched in C-flavonoids, presents a novel source of safe antihepatotoxic agents and further demonstrates the efficacy of UPLC-MS metabolomics in the field of natural products drug discovery.SUMMARY UPLC coupled to qTOF-MS was used for large scale secondary metabolites profiling in P. turgidum.A total of 39 metabolites were identified with flavonoids amounting as the major metabolite class.Anti-hepatotoxic effect of P. turgidum extract was revealed via several biochemical markers and histopathological examination.This study reveals that P. turgidum, enriched in C-flavonoids, present a novel source of antihepatotoxic agents. Abbreviations used: UPLC: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), LD50: median lethal dose, MDA: malondialdehyde, GSH: glutathione reductase, CAT: catalase, SOD: superoxide dismutase, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, AST: aspartate aminotransferase, ALP: alkaline phosphatase, TG: triglycerides.

Investigation of the ethanol extract of the corms of Liatris spicata (L.) willd led to the isolation of two sterols: stigmasterol and its 3-O-glucoside, a triterpene: obtusifoliyl acetate, two benzofurans: euparin and 6-hydroxy-3-methoxytremetone, three phenolic acids: protocatechuic, vanillic and ferulic acid and a sesquiterpene lactone igalan. The structures of the isolated compounds were established on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis (IR, EI/MS, H NMR andC NMR). The ethanol extract and its isolated compounds evidenced cytotoxic activities against human liver cancer cell line (HepG2), where igalan showed the highest potency (3.83 ± 0.043) μg/mL, its effect was comparable to that of the standard drug doxorubicin® (3.73 ± 0.036) μg/mL.

Phytochemical investigation of the flowering aerial parts of Asteriscus maritimus (L.) Less (Asteraceae) led to the isolation of a new compound: patuletin 7-O-β-D-[(2″'S) 6″(3″'-hydroxy-2″'-methyl-propanoyl)] glucopyranoside, together with five known metabolites; β-sitosterol 2, chlorogenic acid 3, P-hydroxy -methylbenzoate 4, luteolin 5 and protocatechuic acid 6. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by comprehensive analyses of its 1D and 2D NMR, HRMS and compared with previously known analogues. The ethanolic extract of the flowering aerial parts of A. maritimus was found to be safe (LD50 = 4.6 mg/kg) and possess significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and this was in accordance with its high phenolic content (107.36 ± 0.051 mg GAE/g extract).