Lemoine_2025_Mar.Drugs_23_

Sea mayweed (Tripleurospermum maritimum L. syn. Matricaria maritima) is a halophytic species widely distributed along the Atlantic shoreline. Unlike other Tripleurospermum species, the chemical composition and biological activities of this halophyte have received no attention. Here, a hydroalcoholic extract of sea mayweed leaves was evaluated for in vitro antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP bioassays), anti-inflammatory (NO reduction in RAW 264.7 macrophages), anti-diabetic (alpha-glucosidase inhibition), neuroprotective (inhibition of acetylcholinesterase), and skin protective (tyrosinase, melanogenesis, elastase, and collagenase inhibition) activities. Solid-liquid partition chromatography of the extract and NMR characterization of its fractions allowed the identification of some major compounds, including fructo-oligosaccharides in the MeOH(20%) fraction, a new carbohydrate called tripleurospermine (1), 3-5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (2) in the MeOH(40%) fraction, and matricaria lactone (3) in the MeOH(80%) fraction. MeOH(40) fraction exhibited strong antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase (thus skin-whitening potential), and anti-glycosidase activities (anti-diabetic potential), whereas MeOH(80%) fraction showed anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic potential. Overall, our results suggest that sea mayweed may have dietary or medicinal uses due to its biochemical composition and bioactivities.