Preliminary Assessments of Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant Capacities, and Antiviral Activities of Fifteen Rosaceae Species

The increasing prevalence of antiviral drug resistance is limiting the number of available therapies, prompting a need to introduce novel antiviral compounds. Because nature represents a rich reservoir of bioactive molecules, a broad spectrum of research endeavors has been initiated for the exploitation of plant-origin extracts. In this context, the methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of 15 Rosaceae plant species belonging to the Amygdaloideae and Rosoideae subfamilies were investigated with regard to their phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and antiviral properties. Their total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined, and the presence of individual phenolic compounds was quantified by LC–MS/MS analyses. Additionally, the antioxidant capacities of extracts were evaluated utilizing ABTS and DPPH assays, while antiviral properties were assessed against a broad panel of DNA and RNA viruses. All investigated extracts displayed strong antioxidant potency, as well as substantial variation in their phenolic profiles, with Prunus webbii exhibiting the highest total phenolic content (541.3 mg GAE/g DWE) and Sorbus umbellata exhibiting the highest total flavonoid content (116.1 mg QE/g DWE). With regard to the presence of individual phenolics, chlorogenic acid was the prevailing molecule in Amygdaloideae subfamily plants, with Pyrus spinosa displaying the highest content (35,173.6 mg/100 g DWE), while ellagic acid was the most abundant phenolic in Rosaceae plants, with Potentilla speciosa exhibiting the highest concentration (4127.0 mg/100 g DWE). All extracts exhibited notable antiviral activity against one or more of the tested virus strains. The lowest IC50 values were recorded against the influenza A and B strains, with the Sorbus Umbellata extract displaying an IC50 value of 0.8 μg/mL across all tested influenza strains. The Potentilla recta, Crataegus orientalis and Pyracantha coccinea extracts exhibited specific activity against the influenza A (H3N2) strain, with IC50 values of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 μg/mL, while Pyracantha coccinea extract was active against the influenza A (H1N1) strain, with an IC50 value of 1.6 μg/mL. These preliminary findings provide initial evidence of antiviral and antioxidant activity of the investigated Rosaceae extracts that warrant further investigation.