Comparative chemical and biological evaluation of Urtica dioica extracts obtained by methanol and hexane: antioxidant, cytotoxic, apoptotic, and antimicrobial potentials
Küçük Resim Yok
Tarih
2025
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
Bmc
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Özet
Background Urtica dioica L. is a widely utilized medicinal plant with potential antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial properties. Methods This study aimed to investigate its multi-target biological activities across four cell lines (A549, MDA-MB-231, HCT116, and BEAS-2B) while evaluating the impact of two extraction solvents (acidified methanol and hexane) on activity outcomes. Results The acidified methanolic extract exhibited higher total phenolic (61.25 +/- 3.07 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (51.20 +/- 2.01 mg CE/g) content, correlating with superior antioxidant activity (DPPH: 84.36 +/- 1.50 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 174.04 +/- 9.54 mg TE/g). In contrast, the hexane extract demonstrated stronger cytotoxicity across cancer cell lines (IC50: 3.10-4.12 mu g/mL), along with significant induction of apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, despite lower antioxidant capacity. In addition, both extracts increased the protein levels of p21 and cleaved caspase-3, suggesting involvement of cell cycle inhibition and activation of intrinsic apoptotic signalling pathways. Moderate antimicrobial activity was also observed, with inhibition zones ranging from 7 to 10 mm across bacterial and fungal strains. Conclusions These findings highlight the bioactive potential of U. dioica and the critical role of extraction solvent in modulating its total phenolic and flavonoid contents and biological effects. The observed upregulation of p21 and cleaved caspase-3 further supports the notion that U. dioica extracts may exert antiproliferative activity through p21-mediated cell cycle control and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Further in vivo studies and mechanistic investigations are needed to confirm these observations and clarify their potential therapeutic relevance.
Açıklama
Anahtar Kelimeler
Antimicrobial activity, Antioxidant activity, Apoptosis, Cell cycle, Cytotoxicity, Urtica dioica, Solvent polarity
Kaynak
Bmc Complementary Medicine and Therapies
WoS Q Değeri
Q1
Scopus Q Değeri
Q1
Cilt
26
Sayı
1
