Biological Evaluation (Activities of Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Cytotoxic, and Enzyme Inhibitory) and Phenolic Profile of Ruscus colchicus Aqueous Extract

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Türkiye is among the unique and important countries in the world in terms of plant genetic resources and diversity. Zirmek (Ruscus colchicus) plant is a species from the Asparagaceae family. It is aimed to investigate the total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant 2,2'-azinobis-(3- 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•⁺), (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH•) radical scavenging, and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP)), antibacterial, and cytotoxic activity and bovine carbonic anhydrase (bCA) enzyme inhibitory effect of aqueous extract from R. colchicus cladodes (AERc) following the phenolic profile of this extract by LC-MS-MS. Additionally, the antibacterial potential of AERc was investigated against six pathogenic bacteria. Six phenolic compounds (protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, siringic acid, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, and rutin) were identified and quantified. The phenolic content of AERc was found to be 42.86 ± 2.86 GAE, μg/mL. DPPH•, ABTS•⁺, and FRAP antioxidant activities were determined as IC50: 0.0935 ± 0.0016 mg/mL, IC50: 0.0410 ± 0.0057 mg/mL, and 120.21 ± 2.82 μM TEAC, respectively. MIC values of AERc were 62.5 µg/mL for all the tested bacteria, but only 31.25 µg/mL for Escherichia coli. AERc exhibited carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ of 0.239 mg/mL, as reported for the first time in the present study. AERc showed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells. These results provide valuable information that AERc has biological and pharmacological potential in the industries of food and pharmaceutical.