RP-UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MSⁿ analyses, antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic activities and toxicity of Achillea ligustica All

Fourty five polyphenols were identified in the hydroethanol extract of Achillea ligustica All. by LC-HRMS/MS with caffeoyl-6-oleside (5.74%), eucommin A (4.03%), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (3.13%) and cirsimaritin (2.95%) as the major compounds. A good antioxidant potential was shown in DPPH, ABTS and phenanthroline tests and the highest antioxidant activity (A_0.5:36.23 ± 3.07 μg/mL), which was close to the standard α-tocopherol, was shown in Reducing power. The extract inhibited the growth of all tested microorganisms with MICs ranging between 10 and 190 μg/mL. In the acute toxicity test, no death was observed at doses of 100, 750 and 1500 mg/Kg with DL₅₀ higher than 2000 mg/Kg. In analgesic in vivo assay, the extract showed a very important capacity to reduce pain, whether central or peripheral, with a certain dose-dependent relationship. For the three tests (tail flick, hot plate and acetic acid assay), the effective dose was 750 mg/kg.