Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of the Aerial Part Extracts from Matthiola incana subsp. rupestris and subsp. pulchella (Brassicaceae) Endemic to Sicily

Abstract

As part of a project aimed at investigating the Matthiola taxa endemic to Sicily (Italy), this study focused on Matthiola incana, an edible species used in the traditional medicine of various countries. Herein, the characterization of phenolic and volatile compounds, the antioxidant capacity in vitro (1,1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazil (DPPH), reducing power and Fe 2 + chelating activity assays) and the toxicity test (Artemia salina lethality bioassay) of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of M. incana subsp. rupestris from Mt. Pellegrino (Palermo) and Mt. Erice (Trapani), and of M. incana subsp. pulchella are reported. The results are compared with those previously shown for M. incana subsp. incana, to achieve a comprehensive overview of the three subspecies. The HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS and SPME-GC/MS analyses led to the identification of 13 phenolics and 54 volatile compounds. Differences in the qualitative-quantitative profile of these phytochemicals have been highlighted between the M. incana subspecies. The antioxidant tests showed different activity for the extracts, which were found to possess better chelating properties. At last, none of the tested extracts displayed toxicity against brine shrimp larvae. These findings enrich the knowledge on the Matthiola taxa growing wild in Sicily, both from the strictly systematic point of view and for the possible applications as sources bioactive compounds that can be used in the nutraceutical field.

Bioactive Chemical Constituents of Matthiola longipetala Extract Showed Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Cytotoxic Potency

“…Recent research focused on the characterization of the active chemical components and biological applications of the extracted plants of the Matthiola genus. The different extracts of Matthiola species were stated to exhibit various biological activities such as antioxidant, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiurolithiatic, insecticidal, anticancer, and allelopathic activities [10][11][12]. Chemically, many studies concerning the chemical constituents of the Matthiola genus revealed the presence of isothiocyanate, anthocyanins, glucosinolates, flavonoids, lipids, sterol glycosides, and volatile oils [11,[13][14][15].…”

Swimming Training and Nanoformulation of Traditional Herbal Medicines Recovered Sensory-Motor Impairment by Modulating the Molecular Signaling Pathway in Rat Brain Tumor Models

“…Besides, the herb Matthiola incana has been indicated to be effective as a tumorigenesis inhibitor. It should be noted that the molecular mechanism by which this plant exerts its anticancer effects, including its antioxidative stress, cytotoxic effects, and antioxidants, is not yet completely understood (30).…”