Phytochemical Characterisation and Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Muscari neglectum (Asparagaceae) Bulbs

Abstract

Muscari neglectum is a Mediterranean geophyte with a long tradition of ethnomedicinal use, yet the phytochemistry of its bulbs remains underexplored compared with aerial parts. This study aimed to characterise the metabolite profile of M. neglectum bulbs and to assess their antioxidant and radical scavenging potential, and anti-inflammatory potential. Bulb extracts were obtained by hydroethanolic extraction and analysed through HPLC-ESIqTOF-MS, leading to the annotation of 72 compounds spanning diverse chemical families, including flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, terpenoids, fatty acids, and triterpenoid saponins. Flavonoids constituted the most abundant group, with homoisoflavanones representing a characteristic class of metabolites in the Muscari genus and reflecting its distinctive secondary metabolism. Quantitative analyses revealed a high total phenolic content (65.5 mg GAE/g DE) and total flavonoid content (14.3 mg Epi/g DE). Antioxidant assays demonstrated measurable reducing power (FRAP: 0.26 mmol Fe2+/g DE; TEAC: 0.45 mmol TE/g DE), while radical scavenging assays indicated activity against superoxide anion (IC50 = 848 mg/L) and hypochlorous acid (IC50 = 9.2 mg/L). Additionally, the extract inhibited xanthine oxidase (IC50 = 20.6 mg/L). Furthermore, the extract exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, effectively scavenging nitric oxide radicals (IC50 = 78 ± 3 mg/L) and inhibiting lipoxygenase (IC50 = 66 ± 2 mg/L), suggesting that phenolic compounds and triterpenoid saponins contribute to the modulation of oxidative and enzymatic inflammatory pathways. These findings highlight M. neglectum bulbs as a rich source of structurally diverse bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antiinflammatory capacity. The results provide a chemical basis for their traditional use and reinforce the value of bulb-specific studies within the Asparagaceae family.