Exploring the Phytochemical Composition and Biological Potential of Balkan Endemic Species Griseb.

Griseb. is a Balkan endemic species listed in The Red Data Book of Bulgaria with the conservation status "endangered". Successful micropropagation was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L benzyladenine (BA), followed by a subsequent ex vitro adaptation in an experimental field resulting in 92% regenerated plants. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), phenylethanoid glycosides (verbascoside, leucosceptoside A), phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid), iridoids (allobetonicoside and 8-OAc-harpagide), and alkaloids (trigonelline) were identified, characteristic of plants belonging to the genus . High antioxidant and radical scavenging activities were observed in both in situ and ex vitro acclimated plants, correlating with the reported high concentrations of total phenols and flavonoids in these variants. Ex vitro adapted plants also exhibited a well-defined anti-inflammatory potential, demonstrating high inhibitory activity against the complement system. Employing a disk diffusion method, a 100% inhibition effect was achieved compared to positive antibiotic controls against and , with moderate activity against . The induced in vitro and ex vitro model systems can enable the conservation of in nature and offer future opportunities for the targeted biosynthesis of valuable secondary metabolites, with potential applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.