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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Sangre de drago, the sap of Croton lechleri Müll. Arg. tree, has been used for centuries in
traditional medicine owing to its diverse biological activities. Extracts derived from different parts
of the species contain a multitude of phytochemicals with varied applications. Twigs, however, are
among the least studied parts of the plant. This study unveils new biological activities of Croton
lechleri twig extracts recovered by applying Soxhlet and advanced green techniques. For all extracts,
total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were determined. Subsequently, four were selected,
and their cytotoxic effects were assessed on both normal (HaCat) and malignant melanoma (A375)
skin cell lines using the MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay. All showed dose-dependent
cytotoxicity, with the Soxhlet ethanol extract demonstrating the highest selectivity towards A375
cells over HaCat cells. The extracts induced apoptosis and necrosis, as confirmed by Annexin V/PI
dual-labeling and flow cytometry, highlighting their ability to trigger programmed cell death in
cancer cells. The selective inhibition of cell cycle progression in A375 compared to HaCat observed
both for Soxhlet ethanol and pressurized ethanol extracts induces cell cycle arrest at multiple points,
primarily in the G1 and G2/M phases, and significantly reduces DNA synthesis as evidenced by the
decrease in the S-phase population, confirmed by the EdU assay. Consequently, the Soxhlet extract
composition was analyzed using LC-MS, which revealed their richness in polyphenolic compounds,
particularly flavonoids from the flavonol subclass.
Description
Keywords
Croton lechleri twig extracts supercritical pressurized liquid extractions cytotoxicity selectivity index total phenolic and flavonoid content antioxidant activity
Citation
Tzintzarov A, Boyadzhieva SS, Coelho JAP, Tsvetanova F, Petrova M, Stoev G, Yankov DS, Ugrinova I, Stateva RP. Novel Insights into the Biological Activity of Croton lechleri Twigs Extracts and Advancements in Their Sustainable Recovery. Molecules. 2024; 29(17):4161. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174161
Publisher
MDPI