Molecular Characterization and In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Echinacea purpurea Aqueous Extracts from Different Sources
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v12i3.2189Keywords:
Echinacea, Plant Extracts, Antioxidants, Antineoplastic Agents, HeLa Cells, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA FingerprintingAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of Echinacea purpurea aqueous extracts obtained from three commercial sources and to evaluate the antioxidant and in vitro cytotoxic activities of the selected extract against human cancer cell lines.
Methods: Genetic variation among three Echinacea purpurea sources (A1: SWANSON, USA; A2: EMTENAN, Egypt; A3: local herbalist, Egypt) was assessed using Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) PCR molecular markers. The aqueous extract of Sample A1 was selected for biological testing based on genetic profiling. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Cytotoxic activity was assessed against HCT-116 (colorectal carcinoma), HeLa (cervical adenocarcinoma), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma) cell lines using the MTT assay after 24 h treatment. The IC₅₀ was determined by log-linear regression, with R² and 95% confidence intervals calculated in Microsoft Excel.
Results: SCoT markers revealed only minor genetic variation among the three sources, supporting their overall molecular similarity. The aqueous extract demonstrated concentration-dependent radical scavenging activity in both antioxidant assays. Cytotoxicity testing revealed IC₅₀ values of 5,955.9 ± 203.47 µg/mL (R² = 0.9696; 95% CI: 5,391.0–6,520.8 µg/mL) for HCT-116 and 6,853.25 ± 311.69 µg/mL (R² = 0.9998; 95% CI: 5,988.2–7,718.3 µg/mL) for MCF-7. The HeLa cell line showed the lowest sensitivity, with 36.26% inhibition at 8,000 µg/mL and an IC₅₀ exceeding the tested range (>8,000 µg/mL; R² = 0.9798).
Conclusion: Aqueous Echinacea purpurea extracts from different commercial sources share high genetic similarity and exhibit measurable antioxidant and concentration-dependent cytotoxic activity. The modest cytotoxicity observed at high concentrations warrants further investigation using multiple independent experiments and mechanistic assays to establish biological relevance.
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