Phytochemical Analysis and Profiling of Antitumor Compounds of Leaves and Stems of Calystegia silvatica (Kit.) Griseb.

Abstract

Anti-tumor compounds from natural products are being investigated as possible alternatives for cancer chemotherapeutics that have serious adverse effects and tumor resistance. <i>Calystegia silvatica</i> was collected from the north coast of Egypt and extracted via methanol and <i>n</i>-hexane sub-fraction. The biologically active compounds of <i>Calystegia silvatica</i> were identified from the methanol and <i>n</i>-hexane extracts from the leaves and stems of the plant using GC-MS and HPLC. The antitumor properties of both parts of the plant were investigated against cancer and non-cancer cell lines using the MTT assay, and the IC₅₀ in comparison to doxorubicin was calculated. The main compounds identified in the methanol extract were <i>cis</i>-vaccenic acid and <i>trans</i>-13-octadecenoic acid in the leaves and stems, respectively, and phenyl undecane and 3,7,11,15 tetramethyl-2-hexadeca-1-ol in the <i>n</i>-hexane extracts of the leaves and stems, respectively. Both parts of the plant contained fatty acids that have potential antitumor properties. The methanol extract from the stems of <i>C. silvatica</i> showed antitumor properties against HeLa, with an IC₅₀ of 114 ± 5 μg/mL, PC3 with an IC₅₀ of 137 ± 18 μg/mL and MCF7 with an IC₅₀ of 172 ± 15 μg/mL, which were greater than Caco2, which had an IC₅₀ of 353 ± 19 μg/mL, and HepG2, which had an IC₅₀ of 236 ± 17 μg/mL. However, the leaf extract showed weak antitumor properties against all of the studied cancer cell lines (HeLa with an IC₅₀ of 208 ± 13 μg/mL, PC3 with an IC₅₀ of 336 ± 57 μg/mL, MCF7 with an IC₅₀ of 324 ± 17 μg/mL, Caco2 with an IC₅₀ of 682 ± 55 μg/mL and HepG2 with an IC₅₀ of 593 ± 22 μg/mL). Neither part of the plant extract showed any cytotoxicity to the normal cells (WI38). Therefore, <i>C. silvatica</i> stems may potentially be used for the treatment of cervical, prostate and breast cancer.