Organ-Specific Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivity Profiling of Chaerophyllum aksekiense: A Multiassay...

Understanding organ-specific phytochemical variation is essential for elucidating how chemical diversity shapes biological activity in narrowly distributed Apiaceae. This study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of the nonvolatile phytochemical composition, antioxidant potential, and enzyme inhibitory properties of ethanol extracts obtained from the leaves, flowers, stems, and roots of Chaerophyllum aksekiense. Total phenolic and flavonoid levels differed markedly among organs, with leaves exhibiting the highest phenolic content and flowers the greatest flavonoid accumulation. LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis revealed distinct distribution patterns of key compounds, including hyperoside, gallic acid, caffeic acid, and hydroxybenzoic acids. Antioxidant activity differed across assays, with leaf extracts demonstrating the strongest electron-transfer and radical-scavenging capacities in phosphomolybdenum, CUPRAC, FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays, reflected by the highest relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) score. Stem extracts were the most effective metal chelators. Enzyme inhibition activities were similarly differentiated; leaves and roots exhibited the strongest cholinesterase inhibition, roots were most active against α-amylase, and leaves against α-glucosidase. Correlation analysis highlighted gallic and caffeic acids as major contributors to both antioxidant and enzyme-modulatory outcomes. Collectively, these findings emphasize that C. aksekiense displays pronounced organ-specific phytochemical organization that drives its diverse bioactivities, and they identify key organs and compounds with potential value for future mechanistic and application-oriented studies.