Phenolic-rich Rubus caesius roots from Turkmenistan: in vitro antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, antibacterial, and antifungal properties and in silico analysis
The dewberry, or Rubus caesius L. (Rosaceae), has long been used in traditional medicine, although scientific research has primarily focused on its roots and aerial portions. Notable biological activity associated with a rich phytochemical profile has been reported in these investigations. In contrast, limited information is available regarding the biological potential and chemical composition of R. caesius roots collected from Turkmenistan, Central Asia. The present study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the biological potential of R. caesius root extracts prepared as an aqueous infusion (a traditional, food-relevant preparation) and an ethanol extract (a polyphenol-enriching extraction), and to relate differences in bioactivity to UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS-based phytochemical composition. The extracts were screened using complementary antioxidant assays (radical-scavenging and reducing power), a multi-target panel of enzyme inhibitory activities relevant to metabolic and cosmetic/neurobiological pathways (including α-amylase, α-glucosidase, acetyl-/butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase), and antimicrobial/antifungal tests against representative bacterial and fungal strains. UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS profiling revealed a root metabolome dominated by phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanin-related constituents, with clear qualitative and quantitative differences between infusion and ethanol extracts. In agreement with the chemical findings, both extracts expressed pronounced antioxidant capacity, while enzyme inhibition was extract-dependent, indicating that solvent polarity influenced the recovery of constituents responsible for carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzyme and cholinesterase/tyrosinase inhibition. The antimicrobial and antifungal screenings demonstrated selective growth inhibition that varied by microorganism and extraction type. The integrated chemical–biological approach highlights R. caesius roots from Turkmenistan as a promising source of multifunctional natural products and provides baseline data to support their future use in nutraceutical, functional food, or phytopharmaceutical development.