Phytochemical Characterization and In Vitro Biological Evaluation of Sanguisorba minor Scop. ssp. muricata

Sanguisorba minor Scop. ssp. muricata is a wild edible plant with recognized nutritional and ethnomedicinal value. The present study aimed to characterize the phytochemical composition and biological properties of its essential oil, hydrolate, and extracts obtained from plant material collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The chemical composition of the essential oil and hydrolate was determined by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as the mineral element composition, were evaluated using spectrophotometric methods and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, whereas the antidiabetic potential was investigated through α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. The essential oil was characterized by high levels of salicylaldehyde and lavandulol, while the hydrolate was dominated by lavandulol, salicylaldehyde, linalool, and methyl salicylate. All tested samples exhibited noticeable α-amylase inhibitory activity and pronounced α-glucosidase inhibition. The extracts also exhibited notable antioxidant activity and contained appreciable levels of biogenic elements, including Ca, K, Mg, Na, Fe, and Zn. These findings highlight this plant as a promising source of volatile and non-volatile bioactive constituents and biogenic elements, providing a basis for further investigation of its nutraceutical and phytopharmaceutical potential.