Scleranthus perennis L.: Towards Comprehensive Metabolite Profiling, Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibitory Activity

Scleranthus perennis L. is an Eurasian species from Caryophyllaceae family, Sclerantheae tribe. The work aimed at investigating the profiling of secondary metabolites in S. perennis aerial parts by means of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS). The profile was delineated by phenolic compounds with a γ-pyrone core, including 49 C-glycosyl flavones O-glycosylated on the sugar of the C-glycosylation and their acetyl, galloyl, and methoxycinnamoyl esters alongside di-C-flavone glycosides. For the first time, a variety of maltol-glycosides was annotated together with phenolic acids and their glycosides. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 27.7 ± 0.4 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry extract (de) and 31.6 ± 0.1 mg rutin equivalents/g de. Moderate ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50: 1.21 mg/mL) and reducing power in CUPRAC (EC50: 1.40 mg/mL) and FRAP (EC50: 0.61mg/mL) assays were observed. Pronounced inhibitory activity towards α-glucoside (IC50: 1.03 mg/mL) and acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 1.45 mg/mL) was established. Our results are a prerequisite for further phytopharmacological and chemophenetic studies.