Phenolic content determination by LC-HRMS and cytotoxicity assessment of Sambucus nigra leaf, flower and fruit extracts

Abstract

Sambucus nigra L. (Adoxaceae) –common names include black elder and European elder– is a plant native to northern hemisphere which has a high commercial value due to the large amounts of anthocyanins and other polyphenols found in its fruits [1]. All parts of the plant are sources of flavonoids while rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside) is the primary flavonoid in all of them. In addition, fruits contain the anthocyanins cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-Osambubioside [2]. The present study was undertaken to determine the phenolic compounds of leaf, flower and fruit extracts made of S. nigra which were collected from Balıkesir, Türkiye and to assess the cytotoxicity of the aforementioned extracts using human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human alveolar adenocarcinoma (A549) and human brain glioma (U-118 MG) cell lines. Hydroalcoholic extracts were obtained and their phenolic contents were determined by LCHRMS. Consistent with the data in the literature, the highest amount of flavonoid in leaf, flower and fruit extracts was detected as rutin while anthocyanins cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside were also detected in the fruit extract. The cytotoxic effect of Sambucus nigra fresh fruit, dried leaf and dried flower extracts were evaluated in MCF-7, A549 and U-118 MG cell lines using MTT assay. Cytotoxicity test results show that U-118 MG cells were more sensitive than the other cell lines. In U-188 MG cells the IC50 values were calculated as 97.06 and 124.6 µg/mL for leaves and flowers, respectively, while the maximum cell death was 32.9% at 150 µg/mL fruit extracts. In A549 cell line the maximum cell death rate was 21% at 150 µg/mL leaf extracts and in MCF-7 cell line the maximum cell death rate was 25.5% at 150 µg/mL leaf extracts. In both A549 and MCF-7 cell lines, the fruit and flower extracts didn’t show significant cytotoxicity (p<0.05).