Comparative Phytochemical Profiling and Cytotoxic Activity of Ranunculus polyanthemus L. and Ranunculus oxyspermus M.B. Extracts on HepG2 Hepatocellular Carcinoma and L6 Myoblasts

Askerbay G. Yang X. Smanov A. Ydyrys A.
December 2025 Engineered Science Publisher

ES Food and Agroforestry
2025 #22

This study presents a comparative phytochemical and cytotoxic evaluation of ethanol extracts from Ranunculus polyanthemus L. and Ranunculus oxyspermus M.B., two medicinally relevant species native to Central Asia. UPLC–Q-TOF–MS/MS analysis identified more than 80 metabolites representing major classes such as flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, coumarins, and fatty acid derivatives. Cytotoxic activity was assessed using the CCK-8 assay against HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells and L6 myoblasts across the concentration range of 10–160 µg/mL. The selection of this range was based on preliminary solubility tests and previous reports of Ranunculus ethanol extracts showing moderate cytotoxic effects within comparable concentrations. Results demonstrated a dose-dependent but non-selective decrease in cell viability, with selectivity index (SI) values below 1 for both extracts. The low SI suggests that the cytotoxicity is not tumor-specific and may be associated with the presence of protoanemonin-like lactones typical of the Ranunculaceae family. These findings highlight that ethanol extracts may not capture the full spectrum of anticancer constituents, and future studies should employ less polar or mixed solvents to improve extraction efficiency.

Biologically active substances , Chemical pomposition , Cytotoxicity , HepG2 , L6 , R. oxyspermus , R. polyanthemus , Ranuncosid

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Faculty of biology and biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Biomedical Research Centre, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Avenue, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China
Department of Agronomy, Breeding and Biotechnology, Kazakh national agrarian research university, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, 29 Sattarkhanov Avenue, Turkistan, 161200, Kazakhstan

Faculty of biology and biotechnology
Biomedical Research Centre
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences South-Central Minzu University
Department of Agronomy
Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University

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