Chemical Profiling, Pharmacological Activities, and Toxicity Assessment of Juniperus phoenicea sp. turbinata L. Extract: Integrated In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Insights.

内容摘要

Juniperus phoenicea ssp. Turbinata L. (J. phoenicea ssp. Turbinata) has long been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacological potential and to characterize the phytochemical composition of the hydroethanolic leaf (JPEF) and fruit (JPEG) extracts. Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that both JPEF and JPEG contained high levels of phenolic compounds, with ferulic acid identified as the dominant constituent. The biological evaluation began with acute toxicity tests in rodents, which indicated that JPEF and JPEG extracts were well tolerated at the doses administered, with no significant adverse effects observed. The extracts exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity (94.23% for JPEF; 83.24% for JPEG), comparable to that of diclofenac (97.02%), as well as a notable analgesic effect (75% and 70.62%), compared to tramadol (87.01%). Significant antioxidant activity was observed (DPPH IC50: 70.2 and 90.76 μg/mL), accompanied by antimicrobial activity (bacterial inhibition zones: 11.44-20.36 mm; fungal: 13.59-20.38 mm). Molecular docking revealed a stable interaction between the compounds and several enzymatic targets. These results confirm the potential of J. phoenicea ssp. turbinata as a promising source of therapeutic agents.