Phytochemical Profile and Selective Anticancer Activity of Parietaria judaica L. Extracts

TL;DR

This study explores Parietaria judaica as a natural source of anticancer compounds, showing that its ethanolic extract is effective against cancer cells while being less toxic to normal cells.

Contribution

The study identifies the ethanolic extract of Parietaria judaica as a selective anticancer agent with potential for further therapeutic development.

Findings

The ethanolic extract (PJ-E) showed strong cytotoxicity against HeLa cells with an IC50 of 11.82 µg/mL.

PJ-E had significantly higher IC50 (139.42 µg/mL) against noncancerous HEK-293 cells, indicating tumor selectivity.

The water extract (PJ-W) showed selective activity against lung cancer cells with minimal toxicity toward normal cells.

Abstract

Parietaria judaica L. (alfavaca-de-cobra) was investigated as a potential source of anticancer compounds. Leaf extracts obtained using solvents of different polarities were evaluated for their phytochemical profiles and cytotoxic activities against a panel of human cancer cell lines (glioblastoma LN-229, lung NCI-H1563, breast MDA-MB-231, liver HepG2, renal 769-P, cervical HeLa, and melanoma A-375) and a noncancerous HEK-293 cell line. LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis confirmed that the extracts are rich in polyphenols, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. Cytotoxicity was assessed via MTT and SRB assays, demonstrating dose-dependent antiproliferative effects. Among the extracts, the ethanolic fraction (PJ-E) exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity, with an IC50 of 11.82 µg/mL against HeLa cells, while displaying a significantly higher IC50 (139.42 µg/mL) against HEK-293, indicating tumor selectivity. The water extract (PJ-W) showed selective activity against lung cancer cells (IC50 = 87.69 µg/mL), with minimal toxicity toward normal cells. The methanol/acetone extract (PJ-M) displayed intermediate activity, whereas the hexane extract (PJ-H) was the least effective. These findings highlight P. judaica, particularly its ethanolic extract, as a promising source of natural anticancer agents. Further research focusing on the isolation of active constituents, formulation development, and in vivo validation is warranted to support its therapeutic potential.

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