Biologically active compounds from two members of the Asteraceae family: Scop. and L.

and are consumed as vegetables and used in folk medicine to manage common diseases. Herein, the chemical compositions and biological activities of different leaf extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) of and were evaluated. The antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant abilities of the extracts were tested using different assays including free radical scavenging, reducing power, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating assays. Enzyme inhibitory potentials were evaluated against cholinesterases, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Complexes of bioactive compounds (chlorogenic and rosmarinic acid) were docked into the enzymatic cavity of α-glucosidase and subjected to molecular dynamic calculation, enzyme conformational stability, and flexibility analysis. and extracts showed remarkable antioxidant potentials. Ethyl acetate extracts of and were the most potent inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. ethyl acetate extract and methanolic extract showed noteworthy activity against α-glucosidase. High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the abundance of some phenolic compounds including chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids. Ethyl acetate extract of showed notable antifungal activity against all strains. Docking studies showed best pose for chlorogenic acid was stabilized by a network of hydrogen bonds with residues Asp1157, Asp1279, whereas rosmarinic acid showed several hydrogen bonds with Asp1157, Asp1420, Asp1526, Lys1460 and Trp1369. This study further validates the use of and in traditional medicine, as well as act as a stimulus for further studies for future biomedicine development. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.