Bioactive Potential of Tithonia diversifolia: Phytochemical Profiling and Multifunctional Activities

Natural compounds derived from invasive plant species are increasingly recognized as promising sources of bioactive agents for drug discovery and therapeutic applications. This work explored the chemical diversity and biological potential of Tithonia diversifolia flowers (TDF) and leaves (TDL). Sequential extraction was performed using a dichloromethane/methanol mixture, followed by phytochemical screening. Quantitative analysis revealed that TDF contained higher phenolic and flavonoid levels but lower proanthocyanins compared to TDL. Antioxidant assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2´-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid, and ferric reducing antioxidant power) confirmed that TDF exhibited superior radical scavenging potential. Anticancer activity assessments indicated that both extracts showed cytotoxic effects against liver, colon, breast, and lung cancer cells, with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Besides, substantial α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition was displayed by TDL (half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 38.99 ± 1.10 and 49.62 ± 1.21 µg/mL), compared to TDF (45.26 ± 2.61 and 50.53 ± 1.82 µg/mL), respectively, and the acarbose standard. Antifungal evaluation demonstrated subtle potency differences, with TDF (800.0 µg/mL) displaying a lower minimum inhibitory concentration than TDL (900.0 µg/mL) at day 13. Collectively, these findings highlight T. diversifolia extracts as multifunctional agents with significant antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antifungal potential, supporting their application in pharmaceutical drug development.