Elucidating the Biological Potential and DNA Protective Activities of Astragalus tokatensis Fisch: GC‐MS and LC‐HRMS‐based Characterization and Molecular Docking Studies

Astragalus tokatensis is a local endemic species and no study exists on this species. In this study, hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts were obtained from the parts of root, leaf and flower of A. tokatensis. The phytochemical analyses of hexane and methanol extracts were identified and characterized using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and liquid chromatography‐high resolution mass spectrometry (LC‐HRMS), respectively, for the first time. The total 11 fatty acid and 8 flavonoid derivatives was detected in GC‐MS and LC‐HRMS analyses, respectively. Total antioxidant levels (TAL) and total oxidant levels (TOL) values of extracts were investigated. TAL and TOL values were given as mM Trolox equiv./L. and μM H2O2 equiv./L, respectively. The α‐amylase enzyme activity of all extracts was examined, and it was found that the extracts had no significant effect on the α‐amylase activity. Also, the DNA protective activities of the leaf and flower extracts were determined by using gel electrophoresis method and it was seen that all flower extracts had high DNA protective activity. Moreover, Docking assays showed that the limited interactions of sinapinic acid and salicylic acid, the most abundant in the methanol extracts, with α‐amylase, supported the weak inhibitory effects observed experimentally in the methanol extracts.