Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Potential of <i>Carlina vulgaris</i> Extract and Bioactivity-Guided Isolation of Cytotoxic Components
Ireneusz Sowa,
Roman Paduch,
Jarosław Mołdoch,
Dariusz Szczepanek,
Jacek Szkutnik,
Paweł Sowa,
Katarzyna Tyszczuk-Rotko,
Tomasz Blicharski,
Magdalena Wójciak
Affiliations
Ireneusz Sowa
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Roman Paduch
Department of Virology and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 19 Akademicka Street, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
Jarosław Mołdoch
Department of Biochemistry and Crop Quality, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
Dariusz Szczepanek
Chair and Department of Neurosurgery and Paediatric Neurosurgery, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Jacek Szkutnik
Independent Unit of Functional Masticatory Disorders, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Paweł Sowa
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Oncological Laryngology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
Katarzyna Tyszczuk-Rotko
Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Tomasz Blicharski
Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin, 20-954 Lublin, Poland
Magdalena Wójciak
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Carlina vulgaris is a poorly understood plant in the context of biological activity, despite its widespread application in ethnomedicine in numerous European countries. The aim of this study was to assess the cytotoxic potential of the plant against human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT29) and to isolate the plant components linked to this effect. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with a high-resolution/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UHPLC–HR/QTOF/MS–PDA) was used for the phytochemical characterization of the extract. Liquid–liquid extraction and preparative chromatography were employed for fractionation purposes. Our investigation demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction from C. vulgaris showed significant cytotoxicity, and a bioactivity-guided approach led to the isolation of oxylipins, including traumatic acid, pinellic acid, and 9,10-dihydroxy-8-oxsooctadec-12-enic acid. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Among these compounds, the last one exhibited significant cytotoxicity, though without selectivity, and traumatic acid was characterized by mild cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity was linked to intracellular reactive oxygen species generation.
