Evaluation of antitumor activity and targeted enrichment of bioactive compounds from Dendrobium fimbriatum hook

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a global health challenge with limited therapeutic efficacy for advanced stages. Traditional Chinese medicine Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook. has shown anticancer potential, but its bioactive components and mechanisms require systematic exploration. In this study, a dual-mode switchable monolithic column was constructed for the enrichment and preliminary screening of antitumor components from Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook. extracts. By adjusting the polarity of the mobile phase, the monolithic column achieved one-step enrichment of active components (fraction C2). The results showed that the process recovery of fraction C2 reached 90.8%, and its relative peak area increased from 2.58% in the crude extract to 64.09% after enrichment and purification. Fraction C2 exhibited selective cytotoxicity against HepG-2 cells (IC₅₀ = 90.14 μg/mL) and inhibited HepG-2 migration and clonogenicity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Inhibitory effects were also observed against other cancer cell lines (e.g., MCF-7, A549).