Hypericum scabrum L. has been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases just as the other Hypericum species. In the present study, the antiradical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of water and ethanol extracts of H. scabrum flowers were investigated. Their phytochemical contents and composition were also determined. The water and ethanol extracts are better scavenged ABTS (97.89 and 98.99%) and OH radicals (96.36 and 97.33%); the water extract is better scavenged DPPH radicals (91.66%) than the standard antioxidant BHA (94.33, 85.19, 90.16%, respectively). Flowers of H. scabrum contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins and phytosterols, dominated by catechin, vanillic acid, vitamin K and ergosterol. The extracts exhibit a strong cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, HCT-116, and LNCaP cancer cell lines. It is found that their antimicrobial activities are higher than the standard antibiotics. These results indicate that H. scabrum flowers have potent antiradical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

This research aimed to explore the protective and therapeutic properties of safranal in mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress induced by elevated acetaminophen (APAP) doses in a rat model. The protective and therapeutic effects of safranal were determined by histopathologically and examining some biochemical parameters such as aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, malondialdehyde, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β. Male Wistar–Albino rats were subject to random allocation, forming five groups, each comprising seven rats (n = 7) in the study. Group 1 was the control group. APAP was administered in Group 2 to induce hepatotoxicity. Rats in Groups 3, 4, and 5 received intraperitoneal injections of safranal at doses of 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mL/kg/day for 14 days, respectively. On the 15th day, to induce APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, four groups (Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5) acquired a single intraperitoneal injection of 600 mg/kg APAP. The presence of APAP-induced hepatotoxic effect was proven by elevated AST and ALT levels, which are typical biomarkers of liver function in addition to the demonstration of histopathological changes. The findings suggest that pre-treatment with safranal may offer a protective effect against hepatotoxicity by attenuating oxidative stress and the inflammatory response.