Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Capacity, α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Potential of Wild Moroccan (L.) Leaves.

Medicinal plants offer imperative sources of innovative chemical substances with important potential therapeutic effects. Among them, the members of the genus have been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. The present study investigated the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays) and the in vitro anti-hyperglycemic potential of aerial parts of (L.) () extracts through the inhibition of digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), responsible of the digestion of poly and oligosaccharides. The polyphenolic profile of the (L.) EtOAc extract was also investigated using HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS analysis, whereas the volatile composition was elucidated by GC-MS. The chemical analysis resulted in the detection of twenty-one polyphenolic compounds, whereas the volatile profile highlighted the occurrence of forty-eight different compounds. (L.) presented values as high as 87.2 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g and 78.6 ± 0.55mg CE/g, for gallic acid and catechin, respectively. The EtOAc extract exhibited the higher antioxidant activity compared to methanol and chloroform extracts in different tests with (IC = 0.6 ± 0.03 µg/mL; IC = 8.6 ± 0.08 µg/mL; 634.8 mg ± 1.45 AAE/g extract) in DPPH, ABTS and FRAP tests. Moreover, (L.) leaves did show an important inhibitory effect against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. On the basis of the results achieved, such a species represents a promising traditional medicine, thanks to its remarkable content of functional bioactive compounds, thus opening new prospects for research and innovative phytopharmaceuticals developments.