Unexplored Bioactive, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Nematicidal Potential of the Flowers, Leaves, and Roots of ‘Yellow Chicory’ (Hypochaeris sessiliflora)

This exploratory study compared the flowers, leaves, and roots of Hypochaeris sessiliflora to evaluate physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, in vitro chemical antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, and locomotion-disrupting effects on Caenorhabditis elegans. Bioactive compounds were determined by liquid chromatography; in vitro chemical antioxidant activity by microplate spectrophotometry; antimicrobial activity against a range of ATCC and multidrug-resistant microorganisms; and locomotion-disrupting effects on Caenorhabditis elegans. The results revealed significant differences between plant organs. The leaves contained the highest concentrations of calcium (1163.1 mg/100 g DW), potassium (3256.6 mg/100 g DW), vitamin C (39.2 mg/100 g DW), organic acids (1213.5 mg/100 g DW), and total quantified chlorophylls (89.0 mg/100 g DW). The flowers had the highest levels of total quantified carotenoids (152.1 mg/100 g DM) and total quantified phenolic compounds (12,341.1 mg/100 g DM). They exhibited the highest in vitro chemical antioxidant activity, as measured by the ABTS assay (6.1 mmol TE/100 g DW). The extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity that depended on the plant organ and the microorganism tested, with the root extract being the most active against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC = 8.2 mg/mL). No activity was detected against Candida species or against multidrug-resistant bacteria under the experimental conditions used. Furthermore, the extracts under the experimental conditions used did not significantly alter C. elegans’ locomotion. Overall, this study provides baseline evidence of the organ-specific chemical composition and biological properties of H. sessiliflora, supporting further investigation of the compounds responsible for the observed in vitro chemical antioxidant and selective and antimicrobial activities.