Ephedra alata Subsp. Alenda as a Novel Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals: Characterization Based on the Mass Spectrometry and Profiling of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

The aim of the present study was to examine, for the first time, the phytochemical content of Ephedra alata pulp extract (EAP) and explore its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. High-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS) was used for phytochemical analysis and three in vitro antioxidant assays together with three in vitro anti-inflammatory tests were used for the assessment of biological activity. The HPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS analysis revealed the presence of 42 metabolites, including flavonoids, sphingolipides, fatty acids, ephedrine derivatives, and amino acid derivatives. In vitro findings revealed that EAP has interesting 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide, and ferrous ion chelating capacities (IC50 values were 0.57 mg/mL, 0.55 mg/mL, and 0.51 mg/mL for DPPH, superoxide radical, and ferrous ion, respectively). Furthermore, EAP showed a noticeable anti-inflammatory ability by inhibiting the two cyclooxygenase isoforms, COX-1 and COX-2 (IC50 of 59.1 and 58.8 µg/mL for COX-1 and COX-2, respectively), preventing protein denaturation (IC50 = 0.51 mg/mL), and protecting membrane stabilization (IC50 = 0.53 mg/mL). The results highlighted the use of Ephedra alata pulp as a potential source of natural compounds with therapeutic effects for the management of inflammatory disorders.