Structural characterizations of lead anticancer compounds from the methanolic extract of Jatropha tanjorensis

Abstract

LC/ESI/MS/MS data analysis on the phytoconstituents of methanolic extract of Jatropha tanjorensis leaves revealed the presence of abundant flavone glucosides (homoorientin, kaempferol-3-o-rutinoside, luteolin-7-o-glucoside, 6 -C-pentosyl-8-C-hexosyl apigenin, naringin and vitexin), flavonol (kaempferol and kaempferide) and flavones (baicalein and diosmetin). We, herein, demonstrated that methanolic extract of J. tanjorensis possess DPPH freeradical scavenging activity (IC50 of 49.7 μg/mL), inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity (IC50 of 189.6 μg/mL) and anticancer activity through MTT assay against EAC cells (IC50 of 14.57 μg/mL) and Caco-2 cells (IC50 of 21.0 μg/mL). In silico analysis indicated that cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extract of J. tanjorensis could be attributed to the presence of vitexin and 6-C-pentosyl-8-Chexosyl apigenin as evidenced by exhaustive molecular docking studies carried out against 8 proteins of Bcl-2 family that play essential role in apoptosis. Moreover, drug-likeness properties of the leads and scopes to develop them as potent anticancer compounds are discussed.