In Vitro Evaluation of Chemical Compounds, Antiproliferative Activity, Efficacy in Apoptosis Induction and Cell Cycle Arrest of Heliotropium Bacciferum Extract and Fractions on the A549 Cell Line

Abstract

Background: Medicinal plants and natural products have proven effective in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells due to their rich content of active compounds, with polyphenols being among the most prominent. This study aims to assess the antiproliferative activity of Heliotropium bacciferum extracts on breast (MCF-7) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines and identify the extracts key active compounds. Methods: The antiproliferative activity of Heliotropium bacciferum extract and fractions on breast (MCF-7) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Subsequently, the hexane extract was selected as the most effective extract for investigating the mechanism of its antiproliferative activity on A549 cell lines. The investigation involved the evaluation of cell cycle alterations using propidium iodide staining and the induction of apoptosis using the Annexin V-FITC/PI kit. Finally, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was conducted to identify the chemical compounds in the hexane extract of Heliotropium bacciferum. Results: According to the MTT assay, the hexane fraction of Heliotropium bacciferum effectively halted the growth of A549 and MCF-7 cancer cells with IC₅₀ values of 104.14 and 83.84 μg/mL, respectively. Additionally, methyl lineoleate (36.5%), linoleic acid (19.1%), and 3′-Acetyllycopsamine (10.7%) were the major components in the Heliotropium bacciferum hexane fraction, according to GC/MS analysis. Conclusions: In order to produce pharmaceutical anticancer medicines for cancer therapies, Heliotropium bacciferum hexane fraction can be employed.