Phytochemical Study on Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Moroccan Caralluma europaea Extract and Its Bioactive Compound Classes

Background. Caralluma europaea (C. europaea) is a medicinal plant used in Moroccan popular medicine. Objective of the Study. The present work was aimed at identifying the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of hydroethanolic and bioactive compound classes of C. europaea. Materials and Methods. The chemical composition was analyzed using HPLC. The antioxidant power was determined using both DPPH and FRAP assays. The antiproliferative activity was effectuated against cancerous cells using WST-1. Results. The chemical analysis showed the presence of bioactive constituents such as quercetin, myricetin, and hesperetin. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents were estimated at 51.42 mg GA/g and 20.06 mg EQ/g, respectively. The EC50 values of FRAP assay of hydroethanolic, flavonoid, saponin, and mucilage extracts were 5.196 mg/ml, 4.537 mg/ml, 3.05 mg/ml, and 6.02 mg/ml, respectively. The obtained IC50 values with the DPPH test were 1.628 mg/ml, 1.05 mg/ml, 1.94 mg/ml, and 9.674 mg/ml, respectively. Regarding MDA-MB-231, saponins were highly effective even with the lowest concentration (15.62 mu g/ml). The flavonoids decreased the cell viability with IC50 values of 43.62 +/- 0.06 mu g/ml, whereas the hydroethanolic extract and mucilages were ineffective. Saponins were also effective against MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 4.195 +/- 0.025 mu g/ml. Conclusion. The present results suggest that C. europaea may have considerable potential for the development of effective natural anticancer agents.