Investigating the Pharmacological Potential of Micromeria myrtifolia Boiss. & Hohen.: Phenolic Profiling and Biological Activity Assessments

Micromeria myrtifolia Boiss. & Hohen. is a valuable medicinal plant in Türkiye, recognized for its extensive applications across the country. In this study, plant samples were collected from Muğla, Türkiye and extracts from both the aerial parts and roots were prepared using ethanol. To elucidate their phytochemical composition, a comprehensive LC-MS/MS analysis was conducted. The results revealed that both extracts were quite rich in phenolic compounds. Notably, nicotiflorin was the major constituent in both extracts (12878.31355.44 μg/g extract in the aerial parts and 47512.41311.34 μg/g extract in the roots) along with significant phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid as well as flavonoids like hesperidin. Moreover, both extracts demonstrated substantial antioxidant activities compared to the synthetic antioxidant compounds as evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS cation radical scavenging, and CUPRAC activity assays. Both aerial parts and root extracts also exhibited meaningful anti-glucosidase activity with 73.030.16% and 47.060.41%, respectively, at 2 mg/mL concentration. The root extract also showed moderate butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge with valuable insights regarding the phytochemical profile and biological activities of M. myrtifolia, paving the way for future research aimed at exploring its medicinal properties and potential uses in traditional and modern medicine.