Phytochemical Profiling and In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Ziziphus rugosa Extracts Against Human Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

The current study presents an in-depth investigation into the phytochemical composition and anticancer potential of solvent extract derived from the bark of Ziziphus rugosa bark, Recognizing the traditional medicinal value of Z. rugosa and the growing need for novel anticancer agents from natural sources, we employed a sequential extraction protocol to maximize the yield of diverse secondary metabolites. Comprehensive qualitative screening revealed that the extracts contain a complex array of bioactive compounds including alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, carbohydrates, saponins, terpenoids, steroids, and phenols. Detailed GC-MS analysis of the ethanolic extract further confirmed the presence of multiple compounds with potential pharmacological activities, such as terpenoids and phenolic constituents, which are known to exhibit antioxidant and apoptosis inducing effects. The anticancer efficacy of the extracts evaluated using the MTT assay on MCF-7 human breast cancer and A-547 ovarian cancer cell lines. Notably, the aqueous extract demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of MCF-7 cell viability with an IC₅₀ of 65.64 µg/mL, while the ethanolic extract exhibited significant cytotoxicity against A-547 cells with an IC₅₀ of 57.43 µg/mL. These results suggest that the bioactive compounds present in Z. rugosa bark extracts may interfere with cellular pathways critical for cancer cell survival and proliferation. The findings underscore the therapeutic potential of Z. rugosa as a source of novel anticancer agents and provide a solid foundation for future studies aimed at isolating and elucidating the mechanisms of action of the active constituents.