Cytotoxic potential of Leontice leontopetalum L: Isolation and characterisation of key phytochemicals

Background/Aim: Leontice leontopetalum L (Berberidaceae) is a wild medicinal plant that has received limited phytochemical investigation. This study aimed to characterise the phytochemical constituents of different solvent fractions of L leontopetalum and evaluate their cytotoxic activity against A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Methods: The whole plant was extracted using Soxhlet extraction and fractionated into hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions. Phytochemical profiling, isolation and characterisation were performed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Luteolin and apigenin were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction, chlorogenic acid from the n-butanol fraction and lupeol from the hexane fraction. Cytotoxic activity was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against A549 cells and normal human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn), with cisplatin as a reference compound. Half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) were estimated from dose-response curves. Results: Both hexane and ethyl acetate fractions exhibited concentrationand time-dependent cytotoxic effects against A549 cells. The ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated greater antiproliferative activity and lower IC₅₀ values than the hexane fraction at all tested time points. Evaluation in HDFn cells indicated lower toxicity towards normal cells than towards A549 cells, consistent with selective cytotoxic activity. Phytochemical analysis revealed flavonoids, triterpenoids, alkaloids and other secondary metabolites in the investigated fractions. Conclusion: The isolation and characterisation of luteolin, apigenin, chlorogenic acid and lupeol expand the phytochemical knowledge of Leontice leontopetalum. The findings support further investigation of its constituents and their potential pharmacological applications.