Bioactive and functional insights into Lophatheri Herba (Lophatherum gracile): A promising source for health-promoting applications

Lophatheri Herba (leaves of Lophatherum gracile ), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine herb, is gaining attention as a natural source of health-promoting ingredients for functional foods and nutraceutical applications. This work systematically evaluated the biological activities of solvent extracts and purified constituents from Lophatheri Herba, focusing on their antioxidant capacity and inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and inflammation-related pathways. Molecular modeling study and physicochemical property predictions were also employed to evaluate their interaction mechanisms and oral suitability. The hot-water extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant capacities among the extracts, while the acetone extract exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase (IC 50 = 22.53 ± 2.50 µg/mL) and hot water showing strongest AChE (IC 50 = 12.74 ± 1.24 µg/mL) inhibitions. Among the isolated compounds, luteolin-6- C -glycoside ( 3 ) and luteolin-7- O -glycoside ( 7 ) exhibited the most potent antioxidant properties, while luteolin-7- O -glycoside ( 7 ) (IC 50 = 24.56 ± 1.27 µM) showed stronger α-glucosidase inhibition than acarbose (α-glucosidase IC 50 = 520.24 ± 9.68 µM) and orientin ( 1 ) (IC 50 = 16.78 ± 1.88 µM) exhibited more powerful AChE inhibitory activity than chlorogenic acid (AChE IC 50 = 61.84 ± 1.43 µM). Moreover, anti-inflammatory and Western blot analysis results demonstrated that luteolin-7- O -glycoside ( 7 ) could remarkably inhibit NO (IC 50 = 16.27 ± 0.19 µM) and downregulate iNOS, p-p38, p-ERK, p-JNK expressions in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Molecular modeling study supported the strong binding mechanism of the active compounds with their respective targets, while in silico predictions confirmed favorable oral bioavailability profiles. Overall, these findings highlight that the leaves of L. gracile may serve as a promising natural source of multifunctional and bioactive compounds, supporting their further development as functional food ingredients or dietary supplements for oxidative stress reduction, metabolic regulation, and inflammatory managing. • Lophatherum gracile extracts exhibit antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. • Luteolin-7- O -glycoside and orientin are identified as the most bioactive compounds. • Luteolin-7- O -glycoside has strong anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitory effects. • Molecular docking confirmed the mechanism of the bioactive compounds. • L. gracile has potential as a candidate for the development of functional foods.