Evaluating Phytochemical Profiles, Cytotoxicity, Antiviral Activity, Antioxidant Potential, and Enzyme Inhibition of <i>Vepris boiviniana</i> Extracts
Kassim Bakar,
Nilofar,
Andilyat Mohamed,
Łukasz Świątek,
Benita Hryć,
Elwira Sieniawska,
Barbara Rajtar,
Claudio Ferrante,
Luigi Menghini,
Gokhan Zengin,
Małgorzata Polz-Dacewicz
Affiliations
Kassim Bakar
Laboratoire Aliments, Réactivité et Synthèse des Substances Naturelles, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université des Comores, Moroni 167, Comoros
Nilofar
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via Dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Andilyat Mohamed
Herbier National des Comores, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université des Comores, Moroni 167, Comoros
Łukasz Świątek
Department of Virology with Viral Diagnostic Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-850 Lublin, Poland
Benita Hryć
Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Elwira Sieniawska
Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Barbara Rajtar
Department of Virology with Viral Diagnostic Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-850 Lublin, Poland
Claudio Ferrante
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via Dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Luigi Menghini
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via Dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Gokhan Zengin
Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya 42130, Turkey
Małgorzata Polz-Dacewicz
Department of Virology with Viral Diagnostic Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 1, 20-850 Lublin, Poland
In the present study, we performed comprehensive LC-MS chemical profiling and biological tests of Vepris boiviniana leaves and stem bark extracts of different polarities. In total, 60 bioactive compounds were tentatively identified in all extracts. The 80% ethanolic stem bark extract exhibited the highest activity in the ABTS assay, equal to 551.82 mg TE/g. The infusion extract of stem bark consistently demonstrated elevated antioxidant activity in all assays, with values ranging from 137.39 mg TE/g to 218.46 mg TE/g. Regarding the enzyme inhibitory assay, aqueous extracts from both bark and leaves exhibited substantial inhibition of AChE, with EC50 values of 2.41 mg GALAE/g and 2.25 mg GALAE/g, respectively. The 80% ethanolic leaf extract exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity in VERO cells (CC50: 613.27 µg/mL) and demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells, particularly against H1HeLa cells, indicating potential therapeutic specificity. The 80% ethanolic bark extract exhibited elevated toxicity in VERO cells but had reduced anticancer selectivity. The n-hexane extracts, notably the leaves’ n-hexane extract, displayed the highest toxicity towards non-cancerous cells with selectivity towards H1HeLa and RKO cells. In viral load assessment, all extracts reduced HHV-1 load by 0.14–0.54 log and HRV-14 viral load by 0.13–0.72 log, indicating limited antiviral activity. In conclusion, our research underscores the diverse bioactive properties of Vepris boiviniana extracts, exhibiting potent antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxicity potential against cancer cells.
