Metabolite profiling and bioactivity of Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr. (Asteraceae, Cichorieae)

Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr. is a perennial herbaceous plant in the tribe Cichorieae (Lactuceae), Asteraceae family, distributed in the mountainous regions in Europe. In this study, we focused on the metabolite profiling and the bioactivity of C. alpina leaves and flowering heads methanol-aqueous extracts. The antioxidant activity of extracts, as well as inhibitory potential towards selected enzymes, involving in several human diseases, including metabolic syndrome (alpha-glucosidase, alpha-amylase, and lipase), Alzheimer's disease, (cholinesterases: AChE, BchE), hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase), and cytotoxicity were assessed. The workflow comprised ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). UHPLC-HRMS analysis revealed more than 100 secondary metabolites, including acylquinic, acyltartaric acids, flavonoids, bitter sesquiterpene lactones (STLs), such as lactucin, dihydrolactucin, their derivatives, and coumarins. Leaves showed a stronger antioxidant activity compared to flowering heads, as well as lipase (4.75 +/- 0.21 mg OE/g), AchE (1.98 +/- 0.02 mg GALAE/g), BchE (0.74 +/- 0.06 mg GALAE/g), and tyrosinase (49.87 +/- 3.19 mg KAE/g) inhibitory potential. Flowering heads showed the highest activity against alpha-glucosidase (1.05 +/- 0.17 mmol ACAE/g) and alpha-amylase (0.47 +/- 0.03). The obtained results highlighted C. alpina as a rich source of acylquinic, acyltartaric acids, flavonoids, and STLs with significant bioactivity, and therefore the taxon could be considered as a potential candidate for the development of health-promoting applications.

Automated summary

This study investigated the metabolite profiling and bioactivity of Cicerbita alpina leaves and flowering heads extracts. The results showed that the plant contained abundant secondary metabolites with strong antioxidant activity and inhibitory potential against enzymes related to various human diseases. These findings suggest that C. alpina could be a potential candidate for the development of health-promoting applications.