Investigation of Photoprotective, Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant Capacities and LC–ESI–MS Phenolic Profile of Astragalus gombiformis Pomel

Abstract

Plant-derived compounds have recently been gaining popularity as skincare factors due to their ability to absorb ultraviolet radiations and their anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. In this light, this work aimed to evaluate in vitro the pharmacological activities of the butanolic extract prepared from the aerial parts of <i>Astragalus gombiformis</i> Pomel, an endemic species to southern Algeria. The sun protection factor was used to assess the photoprotective effect (SPF), the protein denaturation method to determine the anti-inflammatory activity, and brine shrimp nauplii and OxHLIA assay, respectively, to assess the cytotoxicity and antioxidant capacity of <i>A. gombiformis</i>. In addition, LC-ESI-MS analysis was employed for the characterization of the phenolic constituents of <i>A. gombiformis</i>. The results showed that <i>A. gombiformis</i> had high capacity for absorbing UV radiations with an SPF of 37.78 ± 0.85 and significant anti-inflammatory activity with a percentage inhibition of 75.38% which is close to that of diclofenac and ketoprofen. In addition, <i>A. gombiformis</i> was found to have effective cytotoxicity against <i>Artemia nauplii</i> with a DC50 value of about 44.7 µg/mL, but a weak hemolytic effect against human erythrocytes. LC-ESI-MS results detected the presence of 17 phenolic compounds with a predominance of cirsiliol, silymarin, quercitrin (quercetin-3-<i>O</i>-rhamnoside), and kaempferol. Taken together, these results suggest that <i>A. gombiformis</i> extract could be used as a skincare agent in cosmetic formulations, providing excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection, allowing the treatment of skin conditions, as well as a pharmaceutical agent with multidimensional applications.