Metabolomic and lipidomic characterization of Santolina africana and biological evaluation of its essential oil and aerial parts hydroalcoholic extracts

This study investigated the metabolomic, lipidomic, and mineral profiles, and the potential pharmacological effects of the indigenous Santolina africana collected from the arid regions of Morocco, with a focus on the essential oil and hydroalcoholic extract obtained from its aerial parts. Phenolic compounds were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, essential oil and fatty acids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, minerals by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and antioxidant activity by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Enzyme inhibitory activities were evaluated against DPP-4, α-glucosidase, and acetylcholinesterase. Significant variation was observed across all parameters. The hydroalcoholic extract showed high total phenolic content, dominated by chlorogenic acid derivatives, followed by luteolin, isorhamnetin, and apigenin derivatives. The essential oil was rich in epi-zizanone (35.29 %), artemisia ketone (16.16 %), limonene (8.11 %), and β-himachalene oxide (7.42 %), indicating a prevalence of oxygenated terpenoids. Micromineral analysis revealed notable levels of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. The hydroalcoholic extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity, correlated with phenolic and flavonoid contents, with IC50 values of 0.025 mg/mL (DPPH), 0.168 mg/mL (ABTS), and 59.4 mmol FeSO4/g extract (FRAP), and showed pronounced α-glucosidase inhibition.