Hepatoprotective, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Effects of theTragopogon porrifoliusMethanolic Extract

Abstract

Tragopogon porrifolius(Asteraceae), commonly referred to as white salsify, is an edible herb used in Lebanese folk medicine to treat cancer and liver dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activity ofTragopogon porrifoliusmethanolic extract, bothin vitroandin vivo, in addition to its hepatoprotective and anticancer activities. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured and found to be37.0±1.40 mg GAE/g and16.6±0.42 mg QE/g dry weight, respectively.In vitroantioxidant assays revealed an FRAP value of659±13.8 µmol Fe2+/g of extract and DPPH IC50value 15.2 µg/mL. In rats subjected to CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity, significant increase in CAT, SOD, and GST levels was detected. The highest dose of the extract (250 mg/kg) recorded a fold increase of 1.68 for SOD, 2.49 for GST, and 3.2 for CAT. The extract also showed substantial decrease in AST (57%), ALT (56%), and LDH (65%) levels. Additionally, the extract caused a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and proliferation. In conclusion, the methanolic extract ofT. porrifoliusdisplayed a relatively high antioxidant activity bothin vitroandin vivoas well as hepatoprotective potential against liver toxicity in rats and anticancer effect on MDA-MB-231 and Caco-2 cells.