Phytochemicals From Silene colorata : LC‐MS/MS Profiling, In Vitro Biological Activity Analysis and Theoretical Studies

ABSTRACT

Silene species (Caryophyllaceae) are recognized for their rich content of bioactive substances with potential health‐promoting properties. This study investigates the phytochemical composition and biological activities of Silene colorata subsp. amphorina using combined experimental and computational approaches. Hydroalcoholic extract from different plant parts was fractionated using petroleum ether, chloroform, and n ‐butanol. LC‐MS/MS analysis identified 14 major compounds, predominantly phenolic acids, with vanillic acid (383.13 µg/g) and trans ‐ferulic acid (227.36 µg/g) as the most abundant, alongside flavonoids such as hesperidin, isoquercitrin, naringenin, and kaempferol‐3‐glucoside. Antioxidant assays showed strong activity, with the n ‐butanol extract exhibiting the lowest DPPH IC ₅₀ (0.369 ± 0.003 mg/mL), followed by the hydroalcoholic extract (0.385 ± 0.002 mg/mL). Anti‐inflammatory activity revealed significant inhibition of protein denaturation (83.12% at 1000 µg/mL) and membrane stabilization (50.967 ± 0.141%). The hydroalcoholic extract showed notable antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21 mm inhibition zone), exceeding the reference antibiotic. In silico studies identified kaempferol‐3‐glucoside as a potent COX‐1 inhibitor (ΔG = −74.95 kcal/mol). These findings highlight S. colorata subsp. amphorina as a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antimicrobial potential.