Comparative Anticancer Activity of Extract, Partitions, and a Two-Acetogenin Mixture from Mexican Creole Avocado Seed

Creole avocado (Persea americana var. drymifolia) seeds are considered as biowaste; however, they constitute a rich source of bioactive compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of extract, partitions, and acetogenin mixture from creole avocado seeds in SiHa cells and erythrocytes. Creole avocado seed extract was obtained using ethyl acetate (CASE), and subsequently partitioned into hexane (HP), ethyl acetate (EP), and butanol (BP). Acetogenin mixture (AM), composed of avocadene acetate and avocadyne acetate, was isolated from HP and structurally characterized. Total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic effect of all samples were evaluated using SiHa cell line and human erythrocytes. BP exhibited the highest total phenol content with a value of 159.13 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g (mg GAE/g). Antioxidant capacity assessed by 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•⁺) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) assays indicated that BP showed the greatest antioxidant capacity with values of 207.26 and 94.96 mg of Trolox equivalents antioxidant capacity/g (mg TEAC/g), respectively. AM demonstrated the highest cytotoxicity against SiHa cells at all exposure times, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values ranging from 15.37 to 28.09 µg/mL. Half-maximal hemolytic concentration (HC₅₀) of all samples ranged from 107.39 to 160.26 µg/mL. AM, isolated from creole avocado seeds, showed the highest cytotoxic activity against SiHa cells, highlighting its potential as a promising bioactive compound for further investigation in cancer research.