Cytotoxic Activities of Some Cynipid (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) Gall Extracts

Natural products derived from plants are valuable sources of bioactive compounds with potential anticancer properties. This study primarily investigated the cytotoxic activities of gall extracts of Andricus caputmedusae (ACA), Andricus curtisii (ACU), and Andricus quercustozae (AQU) in human cancer cell lines (LNCaP, Caco-2, HeLa) and a non-cancerous cell line (HEK293). The phenolic compositions of the extracts were analyzed by LC-MS/MS to help interpret their biological effects. The extracts contained notable levels of shikimic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and catechin, with AQU exhibiting the richest phenolic profile. All extracts showed marked cytotoxicity, particularly against Caco-2 cells (EC₅₀: 17.64-19.67 µg/mL), followed by HeLa (37.06-81.31 µg/mL) and LNCaP (59.33-160.19 µg/mL), while higher EC₅₀ values in HEK293 indicated selective anticancer potential. Apoptosis assays demonstrated that these cytotoxic effects were associated with apoptosis induction, especially in LNCaP and HeLa cells. Overall, the findings suggest that cynipid gall extracts possess promising anticancer potential linked to their phenolic constituents, warranting further in vitro and in vivo studies.