UHPLC-QTOF-MS-based chemical profiling and pharmacological assessment of Eurya nitida Korth. stem extracts

This study reports, for the first time, the microscopic characteristics, HPTLC fingerprinting, UHPLC-QTOF-MS profiling, and biological activities of Eurya nitida Korth. stem extracts, including those obtained with n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), methanol (MeOH), and water. UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis tentatively identified nine compounds in the MeOH extract. All extracts demonstrated notable in vitro antioxidant activity. The EtOAc exhibited the strongest effects, significantly reducing TNF-α levels and correlating with high total phenolic, flavonoid, and procyanidin contents. The n-hexane extract exhibited the highest α-amylase inhibitory activity (49.86 ± 1.54% at 500 µg/mL). The EtOAc extract showed good α-glucosidase inhibition (IC₅₀ of 129.8 ± 1.98 µg/mL). Both these extracts displayed significant anti-inflammatory activity without cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells and demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The extracts had insignificant AChE inhibition. Overall, E. nitida stem extracts exhibit promising potential for skincare, anti-inflammatory, and cancer-related applications.