Phenolic composition, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of acetone, methanol and water extracts of Clinopodium vulgare L. subsp. vulgare L.

•Enzyme inhibitory activity was firstly reported for C. vulgare subsp. vulgare.•Antioxidant activity of the species was also examined for the first time.•Phenolic composition of this species has not previously been reported.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of acetone, methanol and water extracts of Clinopodium vulgare L. subsp. vulgare L. as well as its phytochemical composition. Methanol extract was found rich in of phenolic compounds (44.42 mg GAEs/g extract) whereas the highest flavonoid content was determined in the water extract (40.20 mg REs/g extract). Methanol extract was also found rich in protocatechuic acid, (+)-catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid and apigenin. Data obtained from the phosphomolybdenum assay was found in correlation with those obtained from total phenolic assay. Methanol extract exhibited the highest activity (374.86 mmol TEs/g extract). In the case of chelating effect assay, acetone extract exhibited the highest activity. As observed in many previously reported studies, water extract exhibited the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity (81.72 mg TEs/g extract). ABTS cation scavenging assay was resulted in the superiority of methanol extract (51.45 mg TEs/g extract). It also showed the strongest reducing power in CUPRAC and FRAP assays. Acetone extract exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and tyrosinase, while the highest α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were exhibited by methanol and water extracts. Total amounts of unsaturated fatty acids were determined as 51.15%. C18:1 ω9, C18:2 ω6 and C18:3 ω3 were determined in considerable quantities (23.93, 6.18 and 5.78%, respectively).

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