Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of different solvent fractions from Murraya koenigii shoots: HPLC quantification And molecular docking of identified phenolics with anti-apoptotic proteins

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Murraya koenigii is known for its health benefits against constipation, diarrhea, bacterial infections, wounds and skin related diseases. Aim of this project is to determine cytotoxic aptitude of antioxidant compounds present in M. koenigii. The fractionation of M. koenigii shoots methanol extract was carried out with different solvents followed by determination of total phenolic content, radical scavenging potential along with phenolic profile. M. koenigii shoot fractions were analyzed for their cytotoxic potential by MTT assay besides evaluating molecular interactions between identified phenolics with Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and MCL-1. The results revealed that butanol fraction contains maximum amount of quercetin, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid and trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy cinnamic acid. Ferulic acid is abundant in water fraction whereas n-hexane fractions contain sinapic and vanillic acids. The ethyl acetate fraction possess the highest level of phenolics as well as radical scavenging potential. HPLC results show that 9 organic acids are present in ethyl acetate and butanol fractions. The highest cytotoxic activity was exhibited by n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions. Molecular docking studies supports that ethyl acetate and n-hexane fractions are the major sources of antioxidant and cytotoxic compounds. Also, molecular interactions exist between identified phenolics from plant shoots fractions with anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and MCL-1.   KEY WORDS: Morraya koenigii, Fractionation, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Molecular docking Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2022, 36(3), 651-666.                                                               DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v36i3.14