# UHPLC-QTOF-MS Profiling of Chemical Constituents in POW9TM Cocktail with Antioxidant and Anti-Proliferative Potentials Against Vero, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cells

## TL;DR

This study identifies the chemical makeup and cancer-fighting potential of POW9™, a plant-based blend that shows strong antioxidant properties and selectively inhibits breast cancer cell growth.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the comprehensive phytochemical profiling and demonstration of selective anti-proliferative effects of POW9™ against breast cancer cells.

## Key findings

- POW9™ contains 34 compounds in negative mode and 27 in positive mode, including flavonoids and terpenoids.
- POW9™ showed strong antioxidant activity with a DPPH IC50 of 1.66 mg/mL and high phenolic and flavonoid content.
- POW9™ selectively inhibited MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal Vero cells.

## Abstract

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies affecting women worldwide, underscoring the need for safer and more effective therapeutic strategies. This study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antiproliferative potential of POW9™, a proprietary botanical blend formulated from nine medicinal plant extracts. Comprehensive phytochemical profiling was performed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) in both positive and negative ionization modes. A total of 34 compounds were identified in negative mode and 27 compounds in positive mode, comprising flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, organic acids, peptides, glycosides, and lipids. POW9™ exhibited high total phenolic content (190.3 ± 3.5 mg gallic acid equivalents/g) and total flavonoid content (115.2 ± 1.5 mg quercetin equivalents/g), along with strong antioxidant activity, demonstrated by a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.66 mg/mL (33.73 mg Trolox equivalents/g). Cytotoxicity assessment revealed minimal toxicity toward normal Vero cells. In contrast, POW9™ significantly inhibited the proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values were 6.75 mg/mL for MCF-7 cells and 18.08 mg/mL for MDA-MB-231 cells after 72 h of treatment, while prolonged exposure (96 h) further enhanced antiproliferative efficacy, reducing the IC50 to 2.34 mg/mL. These findings demonstrate that POW9™ is a chemically diverse herbal formulation with potent antioxidant and selective anti-breast cancer activities, supporting its potential development as a complementary therapeutic or nutraceutical agent for breast cancer management.