Open Access

ARTICLE

Phytochemical Composition and Pharmacological Effects of Extracts from Gilia capitata Sims

Oleh Koshovyi¹, Amal D. Premarathna², Rando Tuvikene², Valdas Jakštas^3,4, Vaidotas Žvikas³, Yurii Hrytsyk⁵, Lyubov Grytsyk⁵, Andriy Grytsyk⁵, Jaan Liira⁶, Ain Raal^1,*

1 Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, 50411, Estonia
2 School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, Tallinn, 10120, Estonia
3 Institute of Pharmaceutical Technologies, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT-44307, Lithuania
4 Department of Pharmacognosy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT-44307, Lithuania
5 Department of Pharmaceutical Management, Drug Technology and Pharmacognosy, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, 76018, Ukraine
6 Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 50409, Estonia

* Corresponding Author: Ain Raal. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(12), 3991-4019. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.074153

Received 03 October 2025; Accepted 28 November 2025; Issue published 29 December 2025

Abstract

Gilia capitata Sims (Polemoniaceae) is an annual herbaceous plant widely distributed in western North America and cultivated as an ornamental flower. The detailed chemical composition and pharmacological properties of this plant have not been previously reported. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of aqueous-ethanolic extracts derived from different plant parts (herb, flowers, stems, roots, and fruits). HPLC analysis identified 12 phenolic compounds and 16 amino acids in the aqueous-ethanolic extracts obtained from these plant parts. The biological effects of the extracts were evaluated in vitro, including cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory response, and wound-healing potential. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by measuring their effect on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophages and HaCaT keratinocytes. Phagocytic activity was assessed using the neutral red uptake assay. HaCaT cell proliferation and migration were assessed to evaluate the wound-healing potential. Morphological changes in both cell lines were examined microscopically. Moreover, neurobehavioral effects were studied in vivo. The herb extracts significantly enhanced locomotor activity while preserving exploratory behaviour, suggesting a stimulating effect. G. capitata flower extracts caused a decrease in both locomotor and exploratory behaviour, demonstrating a moderate sedative effect. Fruit extracts significantly suppressed locomotor and exploratory activity, indicating a strong sedative effect. These findings indicated that G. capitata contains bioactive compounds with diverse pharmaceutical effects depending on the specific plant part and may have potential applications in medicine and pharmacology pending further research.

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Keywords

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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