Biological effects and phytochemical study of the underground part of Iris scariosa Willd. ex Link extract: A new source of bioactive constituents

Omarova B.A. Shults E.E. Zhakipbekov K.S. Abekova А.О. Ishmuratova M.Y. Petrova T.N. Kartbayeva E.B.
June 2024 Elsevier B.V.

Fitoterapia
2024 #175

The expected toxicity and resistance of chemotherapeutic agents necessitate and encourage for the use of natural chemotherapeutic sources of plant origin in the clinical stage of cancer therapy. Plants of the genus Iris (Iridaceae) used by local populations for the treatment of cancer, bacterial and viral infections. In this study, an ethanol extract of rhizomes of I. scariosa was prepared and tested for the cytotoxicity using the MTT assay. The extract exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity against the breast cancer cell line MCF7 (IC₅₀ = 9.28 ± 0.49 μg/ml, selectively index ˃5), and induced apoptosis in MCF7 lines. Notably, the extract significantly inhibited the colony formation of MCF7 and HepG2 cancer cells at a concentration range from 10.6 to 85.0 μg/ml, including non-toxic concentrations for HepG2 cells. The ethanol extract was analyzed by HPLC, revealed the identification of 5 secondary metabolites (quercetin, rutin, myricetin, apigenin, artemisetin), the content of which was shown to reach around 15% of the extract. The petroleum ether (PE) part of the extract (yield 2.62%) was analyzed by GC–MS. The composition of tert-butyl methyl ether (TBME) part of the extract (yield 23.72%) was studied. Total of 15 individual compounds: two benzophenones, eight isoflavones, four flavones and a (2R)-flavanone were isolated. The pentamethoxyflavone artemisetin and flavanone pinocembrin were isolated for the first from Iris sp. The readily available isoflavones from the TBME part of extract (irilone, iriflogenin, irigenin and tectorigenin) may serve as new leads for the discovery of anticancer drugs.

Apoptosis , Cytotoxicity , Flavanone , Flavone , Iris scariosa , Isoflavone

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Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Tole Bi St. 94, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Lavrentyev Ave. 9, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russian Federation
JSC «Scientific Center for Anti-Infectious Drugs», al-Farabi Ave. 75A, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
NCJSC “Buketov Karaganda University”, Universitetskaya Str., 28/3, Karaganda, 100028, Kazakhstan
Higher School of Medicine, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Ave., Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan

Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University
Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry
JSC «Scientific Center for Anti-Infectious Drugs»
NCJSC “Buketov Karaganda University”
Higher School of Medicine

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