Metabolomic Profiling and DNA‐Fingerprinting of Newly Recorded White‐Flowered Populations of Salvia lanigera Poir. in Egypt

Salvia lanigera Poir. is a small herbaceous perennial species with violet flowers that grows in low‐altitude deserts, and sandy loam. During the collection of S. lanigera, unusual populations with white flowers were found. Therefore, the two populations (violet‐ and white‐flowered) were subjected to comparative investigations, including DNA fingerprinting, chemical composition, and biological evaluation. The two populations showed DNA variations, with 6.66 % polymorphism in ISSR and 25 % in SCoT markers. GC/MS and UHPLC/HRMS of aqueous methanol extracts, led to the tentative identification of 43 and 50 compounds in both populations. In addition, the structures of nine compounds, including four first‐time reported compounds in the species, were confirmed by NMR. Furthermore, the total extracts exhibited weak radical scavenging activity against DPPH and a lower inhibitory effect towards acetylcholinesterase. In conclusion, the obtained data suggested that the white‐colored flower could be an additional important character record for the Egyptian S. lanigera.