Polyprenylated Benzophenones from Brazilian Red Propolis: Analytical Characterization and Anticancer Activity

The present work describes the extraction of a polyprenylated benzophenone-rich extract from Brazilian red propolis (ERPB), the development and validation of an RP-HPLC-UV method to characterize it, and its evaluation against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as the normal counterpart MCF-10 A. A mixture of gutifferone E and xanthochymol (1+2), and isolated oblongifolin B (3) were used as chemical standards for ERPB and were also evaluated. The concentrations of 1+2 and 3 corresponded to 16.68 % and 42.25 % of the total content of the extract, respectively, and the validation parameters evaluated were satisfactorily met. The cytotoxic effects of ERPB were assessed, and the obtained IC₅₀ values were 19.58 μg/mL (MCF-10 A), 11.56 μg/mL (MCF-7), and 5.22 μg/mL (MDA-MB-231). In conclusion, ERPB exhibits promising cytotoxic effects on the tested breast cell lines. However, further investigation to elucidate its potential therapeutic applications and safety profile should be conducted.