Pharmacological insights into the antidiabetic potential of Rosa hybrida Hort. flowers based on enzyme inhibition and computational analysis.

Rosa hybrida Hort. flowers are widely recognized for their ornamental value; however, their pharmacological potential, particularly as natural antidiabetic agents, remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of Rosa hybrida Hort. flower extract using integrated in vitro and in silico approaches. The flower extract was prepared by ethanolic maceration following botanical authentication. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging assay, while total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Antidiabetic activity was evaluated through α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory assays, with acarbose as a positive control. Metabolite profiling was conducted using LC-MS/MS, and selected bioactive compounds were further investigated by molecular docking to elucidate interactions with target enzymes. The extract exhibited very strong antioxidant activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 9.78 µg/mL, supported by high TPC (60.51 mg GAE/100 mg extract) and TFC (38.51 mg QE/100 mg extract). Potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was observed (IC₅₀ = 4.45 ppm), while inhibition of α-amylase was moderate to weak (IC₅₀ = 17,149.28 ppm), indicating favorable enzyme selectivity. LC-MS/MS analysis identified major phenolic constituents, including quercetin, kaempferol, hyperoside, cyanidin-3-O-arabinopyranoside, and tricoumaroyl spermidine, associated with antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Molecular docking supported these findings by revealing stable interactions between selected metabolites and catalytic residues of α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Rosa hybrida Hort. flower extract exhibits significant antioxidant and antidiabetic potential, primarily through selective α-glucosidase inhibition, highlighting its promise as a natural source for functional antidiabetic agent development.