Chemical Composition of Essential Oils, Optimization of Phenolic Compounds Extraction and Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Anagyris Foetida

The experimental study on the secondary metabolites of Anagyris foetida is very limited. Driven by the need to identify and evaluate bioactive compounds in Anagyris foetida, this study investigates the extraction and optimization of essential oils and phenolic compounds from various plant parts using different techniques. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials of the extracts were subsequently evaluated. Essential oils extracted from the leaves and aerial parts by hydrodistillation and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation, and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, revealed distinct compositions, with significant variations in the number and percentage of the 33 identified compounds between extraction methods. The optimization of phenolic compound extraction involved various methods and parameters to achieve high total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The highest levels were obtained through reflux heating in ethyl acetate at 60 °C for 4 hours. The extracts demonstrated moderate antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 346.56 ± 33.67 µg/mL for the leaves and 287.14 ± 30.31 µg/mL for the stems. Anti-inflammatory activity was observed, with the leaves showing higher inhibition of paw edema compared to the stems across all tested doses. Notably, the concentration of 300 mg/mL yielded the highest reduction percentages: 38.92% for the leaves and 20.53% for the stems. This study highlights Anagyris foetida as a valuable source of bioactive compounds with promising pharmacological applications, which can explain some traditional uses.