Phytomedicine Plus (May 2024)
Assessment of antioxidant potential, cytotoxicity, and anticancer activity of methanolic extracts from selected wild medicinal plants
Abstract
Introduction: Medicinal plants are considered an important source of human health because of their therapeutic capabilities in treating various diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical profile, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of the methanolic extracts of three wild medicinal plants (Ruta graveolens, Peganum harmala and Citrullus colocynthis). Methods: The total phenolic content was determined according to the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The total flavonoid contents were measured by the aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The antioxidant activity was estimated based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The phytochemical analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The cytotoxicity and anticancer activity of each plant extract was investigated against fibroblast and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, respectively, using Giemsa staining assay. Results: R. graveolens extract exhibited the highest concentrations of total phenols (25.5 ± 0.5 mg GA/g dry extract) and flavonoids (9.8 ± 0.5 mg Rutin/g dry extract). Additionally, it demonstrated the most robust antioxidant capacity, as demonstrated by both DPPH (100.8 ± 0.56 mg GA/g dry extract) and FRAP (91.2 ± 1.33 mg GA/g dry extract) assays. Within this plant, Rutin constituted 13.7 % of the total compounds. Furthermore, R. graveolens displayed the most significant anticancer activity, with statistical significance at p< 0.01. Notably, it exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity against the fibroblast cell line, even at the highest tested concentration of 100 μg/ml. In contrast, both P. harmala and C. colocynthis demonstrated substantial anticancer potential (p< 0.01); however, they both exhibited significant cytotoxicity against the fibroblast cell line (p<0.01). Conclusion: R. graveolens extract holds promise as a potential reservoir of safe and effective antioxidant and anticancer compounds for human use.
