Nine-dimensional bioprofiles of Tunisian sages (Salvia officinalis, S. aegyptiaca and S. verbenaca) by high-performance thin-layer chromatography – effect-directed analyses

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A 2023-01, Vol.1688, p.463704, Article 463704
• Main Authors: Reguigui, Amira, Ott, Péter G., Darcsi, András, Bakonyi, József, Romdhane, Mehrez, Móricz, Ágnes M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Di- and triterpenoids; High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) – effect-directed analysis (EDA); Salvia aegyptiaca; Salvia officinalis; Salvia verbenaca
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463704

•Nine-dimensional antimicrobial and biochemical profiles of Tunisian Salvia species.•HPTLC–effect-directed analyses provided bio-fingerprints of ethyl acetate extracts.•HPTLC-MS and HPLC-HRMS/MS revealed compounds responsible for bioactivity effects.•(Epi)rosmanol and methyl carnosate as bioactive compounds in S. officinalis extract.•4 triterpenic acids as anti-glucosidase compounds in three Tunisian Salvia species. Ethyl acetate extracts of Tunisian Salvia aegyptiaca and S. verbenaca aerial parts and S. officinalis leaves were examined via bioanalytical profiling using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with nine bioactivity assays, namely antibacterial (Aliivibrio fischeri, Bacillus subtilis, and Rhodococcus fascians), antifungal (Bipolaris sorokiniana, and Fusarium avenaceum), radical scavenging (DPPH•), and enzyme inhibitory (α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and lipase) ones. The screening, using toluene - ethyl acetate – methanol 6:3:0.5 (V/V/V) as a mobile phase, revealed five bioactive zones (a–e) that were analyzed by HPTLC-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Zones b and c, observed exclusively in S. officinalis, were active in all assays except α-glucosidase, and only c inhibited F. avenaceum. Compounds in these zones were identified by HPLC-high resolution tandem MS (LC-HRMS/MS) as rosmanol/epi-rosmanol and methyl carnosate, respectively. In the bioactive zones a and e, corosolic/maslinic acid and ursolic/oleanolic acid isomer pairs were present, which could be identified in all three Salvia species after their HPTLC separation using pre-chromatographic derivatization with iodine and MS detection. The triterpenes inhibited B. subtilis and R. fascians bacteria and α-glucosidase enzyme. Linoleic and linolenic acids were detected in zone d, which showed strong lipase inhibition in all three sage species.