Unravelling anti-cancer properties of solanaceous extracts using GC-MS and HPLC

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer poses a significant global health challenge with high mortality rates.
• Current cancer therapies often involve severe adverse effects, necessitating the search for safer alternatives.
• The Solanaceae family is a rich source of bioactive compounds with potential medicinal properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the anti-tumor activity of extracts from plants in the Solanaceae family.
• To isolate and identify specific compounds from Cestrum aurantiacum with potential anti-cancer effects.
• To evaluate the cytotoxic and anti-tumor potential of these isolated compounds.

Main Methods:

• Extraction and isolation of compounds from Cestrum aurantiacum.
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) for compound identification.
• In vitro assays using brine shrimp, cancer cell lines (A549, Hela, HEPG), and Caenorhabditis elegans.

Main Results:

• Ethanol extract of Cestrum aurantiacum demonstrated the most promising anti-tumor activity among the tested Solanaceae extracts.
• Key compounds identified include β-amyrin, cedryl acetate, lupeol, and 2-pentadecanone, 6,10,14-trimethyl.
• These compounds are suggested to contribute to the observed antitumor potential.

Conclusions:

• Cestrum aurantiacum possesses significant anti-tumor properties, primarily attributed to its rich content of specific phytochemicals.
• The isolated compounds, including β-amyrin and lupeol, represent potential leads for developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics.
• Further research into these natural compounds could lead to more effective and less toxic cancer treatments.