Abstract BACKGROUND Medicinal plants are important sources of natural bioactive compounds with antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties relevant to human health. Heliotropium hirsutissimum Vatke has attracted attention due to its phytochemical richness; however, comprehensive studies evaluating the bioactivity of different plant parts remain limited. The present study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibitory activities of methanolic extracts obtained from different parts of H. hirsutissimum using ultrasound‐assisted extraction. RESULTS Considerable variations were observed among plant parts. The root extract exhibited the highest total phenolic content (31.81 mg GAE/g) and rosmarinic acid concentration (2840 μg/g). Consistent with its phenolic richness, the root extract showed the strongest antioxidant activity in phosphomolybdenum, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays, together with effective radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals. Enzyme inhibition assays indicated notable inhibitory effects against α‐glucosidase and tyrosinase, while moderate inhibition was observed for acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Correlation analysis suggested a strong relationship between phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. CONCLUSION The results indicate that H. hirsutissimum , particularly the root extract, may represent a promising natural source of antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory compounds. Nevertheless, the observed activities are based on in vitro assays, and further studies are required to isolate the active constituents and evaluate their biological relevance in more advanced experimental systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Ali Çapan (Fri,) studied this question.