Elucidating the Biological Potential and DNA Protective Activities of Astragalus tokatensis Fisch: Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Based Characterization and Molecular Docking Studies.

Astragalus tokatensis Fisch. is a local endemic species, and no studies have been conducted on this species. Hexane, dichloromethane, methanol, and water extracts were obtained from the roots, leaves, and flowers 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. A total of 11 fatty acids and eight flavonoid derivatives were detected by GC-MS and LC-HRMS analyses, respectively. The total antioxidant level (TAL) and total oxidant level (TOL) of the extracts were investigated. TAL and TOL values were expressed as mM Trolox equiv/L and µM HO equiv/L, respectively. İt was determined that all extracts showed high antioxidant activity according to reference value >2.0, and the highest antioxidant activity was found in the water extract of the leaf with 4.292 mM Trolox equiv/L. In addition, the α-amylase enzyme activity of all the extracts was examined, and it was found that the extracts had no significant effect on α-amylase activity. In addition, the DNA-protective activities of the leaf and flower extracts were determined by gel electrophoresis, and it was observed 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.