Phytochemical Characterization of Echeveria "Blue Curls" and Its Association With Redox-Metabolic Perturbations in...

Melanoma cells exhibit characteristic vulnerabilities in redox homeostasis and metabolic plasticity, making these processes attractive targets for natural-product-based intervention. In the present study, the aqueous extract of Echeveria "Blue Curls" (BCAE) was investigated through integrated phytochemical profiling, computational analysis, and cellular assays in B16-F10 melanoma cells. Untargeted GC-MS analysis tentatively identified eight putative metabolites, predominantly saccharides and organic acids, while molecular docking generated hypothetical binding models between selected constituents and the catalytic domain of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2). BCAE treatment was associated with reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial superoxide, accompanied by changes in NOX2 protein abundance and antioxidant-related protein expression. These responses coincided with mitochondrial depolarization, altered expression of glycolysis-, fatty acid oxidation-, and mitochondrial bioenergetic-related genes, reduced intracellular lipid accumulation, increased expression of apoptosis-associated genes, and impaired migratory capacity. In contrast, no significant reduction in cell viability was observed in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts under the same conditions. Collectively, these findings indicate that BCAE exposure is associated with coordinated alterations in redox status, mitochondrial function, and metabolism-related cellular responses in melanoma cells. Because this study relied primarily on transcriptional profiling, computational prediction, and in vitro analyses, the findings should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis-generating.