# Organ-Specific Metabolite Profiling of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. Extracts by GC-FID/MS and UHPLC-HRMS/MS with Bioactivity Assessment

## TL;DR

This study maps the chemical and bioactive properties of different parts of Mahonia aquifolium, finding that leaves have the highest bioactive content and mild effects on cell viability.

## Contribution

First comprehensive organ-specific metabolite and bioactivity analysis of Mahonia aquifolium.

## Key findings

- Leaf extract showed highest phenolic and flavonoid content.
- 3-Hydroxytyrosol and flavanomarein were identified in specific plant organs for the first time.
- Only leaf extract showed mild, time-dependent reduction in cell viability.

## Abstract

Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh)
Nutt.,
an ornamental shrub abundant in bioactive metabolites, was investigated
using an organ-specific metabolite profiling approach. GC-FID/MS (after
silylation) and UHPLC-HRMS/MS were employed to qualitatively and quantitatively
characterize the constituents in extracts. The leaf extract exhibited
the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents. 3-Hydroxytyrosol and
flavanomarein were identified for the first time in specific plant
organs. Antioxidant capacity and α-amylase inhibitory activity
were evaluated using several in vitro assays. Cytotoxicity
was evaluated on NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells and PMA-differentiated THP-1
macrophage-like cells. At the tested concentrations, none of the extracts
exhibited relevant antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values above 400 μg/mL for all samples; only the leaf extract
showed a mild, time-dependent reduction in cell viability. These findings
indicate limited cytotoxic activity at the applied doses. This study
provides the first comprehensive polar metabolite and bioactivity
map of four anatomical regions of M. aquifolium, highlighting organ-specific chemical diversity and potential applications
in functional food and nutraceutical development.