Anti-Alzheimer, Antiglaucoma, and Antidiabetic Activities of Sainfoin (Onobrychis buhseana Boiss.)

Onobrychis Adans. species, known as 'sainfoin,' are commercially valuable plants cultivated to produce high-protein animal feed. In this study, the ethanol extract of Onobrychis buhseana Boiss., which is widely distributed in Azerbaijan, was subjected to silica gel column and thin-layer chromatography for the first time, leading to the isolation of a new natural hydroquinone oligomer, named buhseanol (1), along with two known compounds, beta-arbutin (2) and an inositol derivative (3). The chemical structure of buhseanol (1) was characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), carbon-13 NMR, Attached Proton Test NMR, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Buhseanol (1), beta-arbutin (2), and the ethanol extract were evaluated for their anti-Alzheimer's, anti-glaucoma, and anti-diabetic effects, with both the extract and buhseanol (1) potentially showing these activities. The inositol derivative (3) did not exhibit any of these activities.