Acute toxicity and anticancer potential of knobweed (Hyptis capitata) ethanolic leaf extract and fraction

Abstract

Ethanolic leaf extract of Hyptis capitata Jacq. showed a toxic effect on Artemia salina larvae1. The extract was simplified through fractionation using vacuum liquid chromatography to trace compounds with biological activity. The F1, F2, F3 and F4 fractions were used in the acute toxicity test on A. salina larvae. F1 showed the highest toxicity value of 196.77±2.7 µg/ml. As an initial screening for its anticancer potential, ethanolic leaf extract and F1 fraction were subjected to cytotoxicity test on T47D cells to obtain an IC50 value of 45.32±2.0 and >1000 µg/mL. The LC50 of the F1 fraction and its cytotoxicity level decreased compared to the ethanolic leaf extract. Based on GC-MS analysis, the ethanolic leaf extract and the F1 fraction contained neophytadiene, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester and heptadecanoic acid, 16-methyl-, methyl ester. Meanwhile, ?-sitosterol, docosanoic acid, ethyl ester and squalene are only found in the ethanolic leaf extract. The compounds contained in ethanolic leaf extract work synergistically. This implies the ethanolic leaf extract has the potential to be developed as an anticancer candidate.