No abstract

Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne is growing in Cholistan desert, and is known for its laxative, analgesic, anabolic and astringent, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic properties. The present study disclosed the metabolic picture of L. pyrotechnica and validates its folk uses. LP‐H fraction constitute 25.79±0.11 mgGAE/g extract and 20.64±0.33 mgRE/g extract of phenolic and flavonoid content, respectively, followed by LP‐E (23.15±0.33 mgGAE/g extract and 19.40±0.13 mgRE/g extract), however, LP‐E exhibited the highest free radical scavenging (DPPH: 21.05±0.45mgTE/g and ABTS: 68.12±0.53 mgTE/g) and metal reducing (FRAP: 44.93±1.66, CUPRAC: 117.42±1.28 mgTE/g, respectively) activities. The total antioxidant capacity in Phosphomolybdenum assay (1.52±0.14 mmolTE/g) and ferrous ion chelating (11.57±0.29 mgEDTAE/g) activities were observed highest for LP‐H extract. In cholinesterase's inhibitory assays, the LP‐E and LP‐W extracts exhibited inhibitory values as 2.43 and 2.40±0.07 mgGALAE/g extract, respectively against AChE, while against BChE the LP‐H displayed the highest value as 5.98±0.44 mgGALAE/g extract. The LP‐H fraction also showed the highest inhibition potential (7.72±0.14 mmol ACAE/g and 0.55±0.01 mmol ACAE/g, respectively) against α‐glucosidase and α‐amylase enzymes, while, in tyrosinase inhibitory assay, all the fractions exhibited significant activities in the range of 59.35±0.29 to 55.18±0.49 mgKAE/g extract. RP‐UHPLC/MS analysis of LP‐M disclosed the presence of 57 metabolites of various classes. A multivariate analysis and molecular docking study was also carried out to establish relationships between the metabolites and the biological activities, which finally validate the use of L. pyrotechnica as herbal medicine or component nutraceutical, food and cosmetic industry.

Convolvulus arvensis L. is an evergreen herb growing in various regions of Pakistan. Despite of several medicinal properties associated to this herb, it was not investigated scientifically for its bioactive compounds and detailed pharmaceutical properties. Therefore, its methanolic extract was divided into hexane (CAÀ H), chloroform (CAÀ C), ethyl acetate (CAÀ E) and butanol (CAÀ B) soluble fractions. CAÀ H and CAÀ C were found rich in phenolics (30.73 � 0.63 and 20.15 � 0.59 mg GAE/g of the extract, respectively), and the same fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activities (DPPH: 5.23 � 0.11 & 12.34 � 0.17 mg TE/g extract, respectively; ABTS: 36.82 � 0.04 & 56.74 � 0.61 mg TE/g extract, respectively). Also in CUPRAC activity assay, CAÀ H and CAÀ C exhibited highest activities as 87.30 � 0.46 and 56.74 � 0.61 mg TE/g extract, respectively, while CAÀ C was most active in FRAP activity assay with value of 40.21 � 2.19 mg TE/g extract. Total antioxidant capacity (1.23 � 0.033 mmol TE/g extract) was also found higher for CAÀ C, while CAÀ H activity was also comparable, however, CAÀ H showed higher metal chelating activity (22.74 � 0.001 mg EDTAE/g extract) than that of CAÀ C (17.55 � 0.22 mg EDTAE/g extract). These activities clearly revealed a direct relation between antioxidant potential and phenolic contents of CAÀ H and CAÀ C. In AChE and BChE inhibitory assay, CAÀ H and CAÀ E showed better inhibition (AChE: 8.24 � 0.77 & 4.46 � 0.007 mg GALAE/g extract; BChE: 5.40 � 0.02 & 1.92 � 0.24 mg GALAE/g extract) as compared to other fractions, whereas, against tyrosinase, CAÀ B was most active (37.35 � 0.53 mg KAE/g extract). CAÀ H and CAÀ C also showed higher inhibitory potential (0.98 � 0.08 & 0.58 � 0.01 mmol ACAE/g extract) against α-Amylase; while against α-Glucosidase, CAÀ E was the most active fraction. UHPLC/MS analysis of the methanolic extract of C. arvensis disclosed the presence of 62 compounds as sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, alkaloids and coumarins. In Multivariate Analysis, the total phenolic contents were correlated strongly with all antioxidant assays except FRAP and DPPH. Regarding enzyme inhibitory properties,