Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of the aerial part extracts from two species of Matthiola wild in Sicily: Matthiola sinuata and M. tricuspidata (Brassicaceae)

Abstract

As part of a project aimed at investigating the specific and intraspecific taxa of Matthiola which grow spontaneously in Sicily (Italy), in this work our research has been focused on Matthiola tricuspidata and Matthiola sinuata. The phenolic and volatile compounds of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the aerial parts of the selected species have been characterized by HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS and SPME-GC/MS analyses. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity in vitro (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH), reducing power and Fe²⁺ chelating activity assays) and the toxicity (Artemia salina lethality bioassay) of the extracts were investigated. The phytochemical analyses highlighted quite different phenolic and volatile profiles in the two species. Concerning the antioxidant properties, M. tricuspidata extract resulted the most active both in the DPPH and in the reducing power tests (IC₅₀ = 1.20 ± 0.01 mg/mL and ASE/mL = 11.25 ± 0.97), whereas M. sinuata extract showed better secondary antioxidant properties (IC₅₀ = 1.32 ± 0.02 mg/mL). The extracts resulted non-toxic in the Artemia salina lethality bioassay. Our findings indicate that both M. tricuspidata and M. sinuata represent new safe sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential.

Keywords:

• Sicilian vascular flora
• Matthiola
• bioactive compounds
• antioxidant properties
• Artemia salina bioassay

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Shimadzu and Merck Life Science Corporations for the continuous support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors wish to thank the Foundation ‘Prof. Antonio Imbesi’ for financial support.