Antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of Paronychia capitata L. and Paronychia argentea L. from Algerian medicinal plants and identification of its bioactive compounds by LC-MS/MS phytochemical analysis

Paronychia capitata L. (PC) and Paronychia argentea L. (PA) are traditionally used in Algerian folk medicine to treat various ailments, including urolithiasis, diabetes, bladder disorders, and gastric ulcers. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as the acute oral toxicity of aqueous and ethanol extracts from both species. Qualitative phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, and sugars in the extracts. Quantitative assays were preformed to determine the total phenol and total flavonoids contents. At the same time, results from LC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of ascorbic acid and phenolic substances including quercetin, and other phenolic and flavonoid components in the extracts. In vitro antidiabetic activity, assessed via α-glucosidase inhibition, revealed potent effects of P. argentea aqueous and ethanolic extracts, with an IC 50 values of 20.62 ± 3.60 μg/mL and 26.90 ± 3.34 μg/mL, respectively. All extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant activity. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity, evaluated through protein denaturation inhibition, showed substantial effects for all extracts. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity, as assessed using the xylene-induced ear edema model, demonstrated significant inhibition by ethanol extracts of both species, with P. capitata (PCEE) and P. argentea (PAEE) exhibiting 79.01 ± 3.52% and 79.94 ± 4.63% inhibition, respectively. Acute oral toxicity tests indicated that the extracts were safe up to 2 g/kg body weight, with no observed mortality or behavioral changes in mice. These findings support the ethnomedicinal use of Paronychia species and highlight their potential as sources of bioactive compounds for therapeutic applications.