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. 2025 Apr 16;18(4):578.
doi: 10.3390/ph18040578.

Phytochemical Profiling and Biological Evaluation of Dianthus sylvestris subsp. aristidis: A Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometry Approach to Uncovering Bioactive Metabolites for Dermatological and Metabolic Disorder Management

Amina Bouzana  1 , Zohra Chekroud  1 , Imène Becheker  1 , Fatima Kamah  1 , Nora Sakhraoui  2 , Chawki Bensouici  3 , Fehmi Boufahja  4 , Sulaiman A Alsalamah  4 , Mohammed I Alghonaim  4 , Stefania Garzoli  5 , Hamdi Bendif  4
Affiliations

Phytochemical Profiling and Biological Evaluation of Dianthus sylvestris subsp. aristidis: A Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometry Approach to Uncovering Bioactive Metabolites for Dermatological and Metabolic Disorder Management

Amina Bouzana et al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). .

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study provides the first comprehensive phytochemical composition and biological evaluation of Dianthus sylvestris subsp. aristidis (Batt.) Greuter & Burdet, a plant endemic to Algeria with unexplored pharmacological potential. The objective is to identify novel bioactive metabolites in the plant's extracts and assess their potential applications for skincare and metabolic disorder management, addressing gaps in the current understanding of its medicinal value. Methods: Liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) profiling was used to analyze the hydromethanolic (HMeOH) leaf extract and identify bioactive compounds. The biological activities of HMeOH, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and butanolic (n-BuOH) extracts were tested for cytotoxicity using the brine shrimp lethality test, photoprotective potential by calculating the sun protection factor (SPF), and enzymatic inhibitory activities against alpha-amylase, urease, and tyrosinase. Results: The LC-ESI-MS/MS profiling of the MeOH extract identified 22 bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, some of which have not been previously reported in this species. Cytotoxicity tests showed that all extracts were non-toxic (half-lethal concentration (LC50) > 100 micrograms per milliliter). The SPF values indicated significant photoprotective potential, with EtOAc (SPF = 45.19 ± 0.73) and n-BuOH (SPF = 43.81 ± 0.59) extracts showing high sun protection activity. The n-BuOH extract exhibited strong alpha-amylase inhibitory activity (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 307.08 micrograms per milliliter), surpassing the standard acarbose (IC50 = 3650.93 micrograms per milliliter), suggesting potential applications in diabetes management. Conclusions: Dianthus sylvestris subsp. aristidis demonstrates significant pharmacological potential as a source of bioactive secondary metabolites for skincare and metabolic disorder management. These findings provide new insights into the plant's therapeutic potential and set a foundation for future pharmacological and clinical investigations.

Keywords: Dianthus sylvestris subsp. aristidis; LC-ESI-MS/MS; enzymatic inhibitory activities; photoprotective potential; phytochemical profiling; secondary metabolites.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
LC–MS/MS chromatogram of HMeOH extract of D. sylvestris subsp. aristidis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The SPF values of different D. sylvestris subsp. aristidis extracts.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The α-amylase inhibitory activity of different D. sylvestris subsp. aristidis extracts.
Figure 4
Figure 4
D. sylvestris subsp. aristidis (Batt.) Greuter et Burdet. (A) Herbarium sheets at Cap de Garde, Annaba (GBIF, 2023) [75]. (B) Photograph at Îlot des Chèvres, Skikda.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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