Mapping the Chemodiversity, Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibitory Potential and In Silico Studies of Heliotropium europaeum

Abstract

The annual plant Heliotropium europaeum grows in waste ground next to agricultural land and along roadsides from June to September. This plant is indigenous to Southern and Central Europe, as well as Western Asia and Northern Africa; the term “Europaeum” most likely refers to the continent of Europe. According to a literature search, H. europaeum is used externally to cure warts and to aid in wound healing. It also has antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, antispasmodic, cholagogue, emmenagogue, antipyretic, and anthelmintic properties. In the present investigation, we measured the biological activities of the extracts of H. europaeum, identification of secondary metabolites by UHPLC–MS/MS, and bioinformatics like docking studies against enzymes as evidence for the bioactivities. The results of chemical profiling showed that the HE-M fraction had the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (15.63 ± 0.39 mg GAE/g extract and 5.67 ± 0.03 mg QE/g extract, respectively), while the HE-E fraction came in second (13.73 ± 0.35 mg GAE/g extract and 4.38 ± 0.08 mg QE/g extract, respectively). Similarly, out of all the extracts, the methanolic extract was found to have the highest antioxidant activity in DPPH and ABTS antioxidant assays, while the HE-E extract was found active among all the extracts in all other antioxidant assays. In the enzyme inhibition assay, we had mixed results, where the HE-E fraction was active against all the enzymes. The chemical profiling through UHPLC–MS/MS analysis endorsed the presence of many known pyrrolizidine alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds, while the results of docking studies against the tested enzyme revealed the inhibitory action of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. Further multivariate analysis was employed to find the relationship between total bioactive components and biological activities. This study established a foundation for utilizing these results and compounds as drug leads and for exploring the industrial applications of H. europaeum in developing products aimed at non-communicable diseases.