molecules Article Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Iris Species Growing in Iraqi Kurdistan and Phenolic Constituents of the Traditional Plant Iris postii Hawraz Ibrahim M. Amin 1,2,* , Faiq H. S. Hussain 3, Soran K. Najmaldin 4, Zaw Min Thu 5 , Mohammed Farhad Ibrahim 6, Gianluca Gilardoni 7 and Giovanni Vidari 3,8,* 1 Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy 2 Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Erbil 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq 3 Medical Analysis Department, Faculty of Science, Tishk International University, Erbil 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq; [email protected] 4 Biology Department, Faculty of Education, Tishk International University, Erbil 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq; soran.kayfi@tiu.edu.iq 5 Department of Chemistry, Kalay University, Kalay 03044, Myanmar; [email protected] 6 Department of Drug Science, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; [email protected] 7 Departamento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Calle Marcelino Champagnat s/n, Loja 110107, Ecuador; [email protected] 8 Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy * Correspondence: [email protected] (H.I.M.A.); [email protected] (G.V.); Tel.: +39-380-6359340 (H.I.M.A.); +39-334-3782582 (G.V.) Abstract: A dozen Iris species (Iridaceae) are considered traditional remedies in Kurdistan, especially Citation: Amin, H.I.M.; Hussain, for treating inflammations. Phytochemical studies are still scarce. The information reported in F.H.S.; Najmaldin, S.K.; Thu, Z.M.; the literature about Iris species growing in Kurdistan has been summarized in the first part of this Ibrahim, M.F.; Gilardoni, G.; Vidari, G. paper, although, except for Iris persica, investigations have been performed on vegetal samples Phytochemistry and Biological collected in countries different from Kurdistan. In the second part of the work, we have investigated, Activities of Iris Species Growing in for the first time, the contents of the methanolic extracts of Iris postii aerial parts and rhizomes Iraqi Kurdistan and Phenolic that were collected in Kurdistan. Both extracts exhibited a significant dose-dependent free radical Constituents of the Traditional Plant scavenging and total antioxidant activities, comparable to those of ascorbic acid. Medium-pressure Iris postii. Molecules 2021, 26, 264. liquid chromatographic separations of the two extracts afforded L-tryptophan, androsin, isovitexin, https://doi.org/10.3390/ α L " molecules26020264 swertisin, and 2”-O- - -rhamnopyranosyl swertisin from the aerial parts, whereas -viniferin, trans- 0 resveratrol 3,4 -O-di-β-D-glucopyranoside, and isotectorigenin were isolated from the rhizomes. Academic Editor: Natalizia Miceli This is the first finding of the last three metabolites from an Iris species. The various remarkable Received: 11 December 2020 biological activities of isolated compounds scientifically sustain the traditional use of I. postii as a Accepted: 1 January 2021 medicinal plant. Published: 7 January 2021 Keywords: phenolics; terpenoids; isoflavones; swertisin 6-C-glycosides; resveratrol 3,40-O-diglucoside; Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu- Iris postii; antioxidant activity; Kurdish medicinal plants tral with regard to jurisdictional clai- ms in published maps and institutio- nal affiliations. 1. Introduction Traditional medicines still hold an important role among health care practices of Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Li- many countries, including Arab countries and Iraqi Kurdistan [1]. A Neanderthal burial censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. discovered at Shanidar cave (number IV in the series of skeletons) in northern Iraq, dated This article is an open access article approximately 60,000 years ago [2], is evidence that herbal medicine has probably been distributed under the terms and con- practiced in the mountains and plains of Kurdistan since the dawn of civilization. Indeed, ditions of the Creative Commons At- a well-organized form of medicine, which made intense uses of plant-derived drugs, tribution (CC BY) license (https:// remedies, potions and oils, can be traced back in Iraq to the Sumerian period (3000–1970 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ B.C.) and then to the Babylonian and Assyrian periods (1970–539 B.C). Later, this knowledge 4.0/). Molecules 2021, 26, 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020264 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Molecules 2021, 26, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 22 Molecules 2021, 26, 264 2 of 21 and then to the Babylonian and Assyrian periods (1970–539 B.C). Later, this knowledge waswas translatedtranslated and and enriched enriched by by Arab Arab physicians physicia duringns during the Abbasidthe Abbasid period period (500–1038 (500–1038 A.D). StillA.D). today, Still today, the majority the majority of the approximatelyof the approximately 1500 plants 1500 usedplants in used Iraq arein Iraq appreciated are appreci- for theirated for medicinal their medicinal and aromatic and aromatic properties. properties Most medicinal. Most medicinal plants plants are collected are collected from theirfrom wildtheir habitats,wild habitats, but some but some are also are cultivated also cultivated [3]. [3]. MedicinalMedicinal herbsherbs growinggrowing inin IraqiIraqi KurdistanKurdistan areare especiallyespecially usedused byby peoplepeople livingliving inin thethe villagesvillages onon thethe mountainsmountains andand inin thethe ruralrural areas;areas; however,however, sellerssellers ofof naturalnatural medicinalmedicinal productsproducts (Figure(Figure1 1)) are are also also present present in in the the bazaars bazaars of of the the main main towns, towns, such such as as Erbil Erbil and and SulaymaniyaSulaymaniya [[4,5].4,5]. FigureFigure 1.1. AA KurdishKurdish sellerseller ofof traditionaltraditional remediesremedies (photo(photo takentaken byby H.I.M.A.).H.I.M.A.). DespiteDespite thethe widewide useuse ofof herbalherbal remedies,remedies, phytochemicalphytochemical studiesstudies onon KurdistanKurdistan medici- medic- nalinal plants plants are are still still in in their their infancy infancy and and only only a a few few papers papershave havebeen beenpublished published soso farfar thatthat describedescribe thethe structuresstructures andand bioactivitiesbioactivities ofof isolatedisolated metabolites.metabolites. AsAs partpart ofof ourour ongoingongoing projectproject onon scientific scientific validation validation of of Kurdistan Kurdistan traditional traditional plants, plants, we we directed directed our our attention attention to- wardtoward the the genus genusIris .Iris. This This large large genus genus of the of family the family Iridaceae Iridaceae (Angiosperms) (Angiosperms) contains contains about 260–300about 260 species−300 species [6,7] of [6,7] perennial of perennial plants plants growing growing from creepingfrom creeping rhizomes rhizomes (rhizomatous (rhizom- irises)atous irises) or, in drieror, in drier climates, climates, from from bulbs bulbs (bulbous (bulbous irises). irises). The The showy showy flowers flowers are are charac- char- terizedacterized by by a violet-likea violet-like scent. scent The. The plants plants grow grow in in temperate temperate regions regions across across the the Northern Northern Hemisphere,Hemisphere, fromfrom EurasiaEurasia toto NorthNorth AmericaAmerica [[8].8]. ManyMany IrisIris speciesspecies areare ornamentalornamental plants;plants; however,however, they they are are also also used used in in various various traditional traditional medicines medicines for for the the treatment treatment of inflamma-of inflam- tions,mations, cancer, cancer, bacterial bacterial and and viral viral infections, infections, and and other other diseases. diseases. Extensive Extensive phytochemical phytochemi- investigationscal investigations of the of genusthe genus have have led toled the to isolation the isolation of different of different isoprenoids, isoprenoids, flavonoids, flavo- isoflavonoidsnoids, isoflavonoids and their and glycosides, their glycosides, xanthones, xanthones, quinones, quinones, and stilbene and stilbene glycosides, glycosides, among othersamong [ 8others,9]. On [8,9]. the otherOn the hand, other isolated hand, bioactiveisolated bioactive compounds compounds have shown have antibacterial, shown anti- anti-neoplastic,bacterial, anti-neoplastic, antioxidant, antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-plasmodial,cytotoxic, anti-plasmodial, molluscicidal, molluscicidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-in- phytoestrogenicflammatory, phytoestrogenic and antituberculosis and antituberculosis properties [9 ].properties Moreover, [9]. an Moreover, essence called an essence “orris butter”called “orris and an butter” absolute and essential an absolute oil with essentia the scentl oil ofwith the the flowers scentare of the derived flowers from are the derived bulbs of some Iris, e.g., I. florentina and I. germanica; they are used in the manufacture of luxury from the bulbs of some Iris, e.g., I. florentina and I. germanica; they are used in the manu- expensive perfumes, such as Chanel No. 19 (1970) and So pretty by Cartier (1995) [10]. facture of luxury expensive perfumes, such as Chanel No. 19 (1970) and So pretty by Cartier Twelve species of Iris are reported to grow in Iraq; in the Kurdistan region, they (1995) [10]. occur especially on mountainous regions, such as Halgurd Mountain (Choman) and Korek Twelve species of Iris are reported to grow in