Molecular mechanism of antioxidant activity of mesona chinensis benth extracts based on arginine-citric acid deep eutectic solvent

Abstract

In the pursuit of sustainable development, the research and development of environmentally friendly green solvents have become increasingly important. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) represent a novel type of green solvent with broad application potential. Although our research group has previously successfully developed various new DES, the separation mechanism of Mesona chinensis Benth (MB) using arginine (Arg)-citric acid (CA) DES and the antioxidant activity of its extracts remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to extract MB using natural deep eutectic solvents and investigate the antioxidant activity of its extracts. Initially, thermodynamic analysis of Arg-CA DES is conducted using solid-liquid equilibrium phase diagrams. Subsequently, the antioxidant activity of MB is screened through in vitro antioxidant experiments. The composition of MB extracts is analyzed using LC-MS, and their antioxidant mechanisms are explored through network pharmacology and molecular docking. Finally, further validation is carried out through in vitro antioxidant experiments. The cell experiments show that DES extracts could enhance cellular antioxidant capacity by increasing GSH-PX, CAT enzyme activity and reducing MDA levels. PCR studies reveal that MB extracts obtained with DES could regulate the expression of antioxidant-related genes to improve the antioxidant capacity of cells. Overall, this study demonstrates that the MB Arg-CA (4:6) DES extract can serve as a novel antioxidant for functional food and healthcare sectors.