Unveiling the Anticancer Potential of Verbascum aydogdui: Isolation, Characterization, and In Vitro Studies

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Medicinal Plant Research

Background:

• Verbascum aydogdui, an endemic Turkish halophyte, has not been previously studied for its bioactivity or phytochemical profile.
• Natural products are a rich source of potential anticancer agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and identify secondary metabolites from Verbascum aydogdui.
• To evaluate the cytotoxic activity of isolated compounds against various human cancer cell lines.
• To investigate the mechanism of action of the most potent cytotoxic compounds.

Main Methods:

• Cytotoxicity-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract of Verbascum aydogdui.
• Isolation and structural elucidation of 16 secondary metabolites (8 triterpene saponins, 6 iridoid glycosides, 2 phenylethanoid glycosides).
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays against PC3, HEPG2, HGC27, A375, MCF7, and SW480 cancer cell lines.
• Apoptosis and necrosis assays, including p53 and p21 expression analysis.

Main Results:

• Sixteen compounds were isolated, including eight triterpene saponins, six iridoid glycosides, and two phenylethanoid glycosides.
• Compounds 1-5 exhibited significant cytotoxicity, with ilwensisaponin A (2) and buddlejasaponin I (3) being the most potent.
• Ilwensisaponin A (2) demonstrated broad-spectrum anti-cancer effects, primarily by inducing apoptosis through upregulation of p53 and p21.

Conclusions:

• This is the first report on the bioactivity and phytochemical composition of Verbascum aydogdui.
• Ilwensisaponin A (2) shows significant potential as a natural anticancer product.
• Further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to explore the therapeutic potential of ilwensisaponin A.