The College of Pharmacy discussed the MSc thesis entitled “Phytochemical Investigation and In Vitro Cytotoxic Assessment of Senecio rowleyanus (Family: Asteraceae) Cultivated in Iraq” by the student Nabaa Adil Chitheer and the supervisor, Professor Dr. Enas Jawad Kadhim, at the Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department.
The study aimed to assess the phytochemical constituents of the plant Senecio rowleyanus cultivated in Iraq, and to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effects of its n-hexane extract against AMJ13 breast cancer cell line.
The study included macerating the whole plant with n-hexane for defatting, followed by sequential Soxhlet extraction using chloroform, ethyl acetate, and 85% ethanol in increasing polarity. Phytochemical constituents were identified through chemical tests, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while the n-hexane extract was further analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Compounds isolation was achieved using CombiFlash, HPLC, and preparative layer chromatography (PLC), and the isolated compounds were characterized by TLC, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), HPLC (spiking method), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy. The cytotoxic activity of the n-hexane extract in concentrations ranging from 31.75 to 1000 µg/mL was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay on AMJ13 breast cancer cells for 72 hours, with Doxorubicin serving as a positive control.
The results showed that Lupeol, β-sitosterol, caffeic acid, ρ-coumaric acid, and syringic acid were identified in different extracts. Additionally, the n-hexane extract exhibited cytotoxic activity against AMJ13 breast cancer cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 125.3 μg/mL, given that the effect was dose- and time-dependent, and was significant compared with the standard drug Doxorubicin.
The study recommended further purification and structural characterization of the unidentified compounds in the plant Senecio rowleyanus. Also, to evaluate the possible synergistic effect of the n-hexane extract at higher concentrations or in combination with Doxorubicin against breast cancer.
