Phytochemical Constituents and In Vitro Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Hornstedtia conoidea Ridl. (Zingiberaceae) from the Simeulue Islands
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.12697Keywords:
Aceh, Antiproliferation, Breast cancer, Cervical cancer, Flavonoid content, Phenolic contentAbstract
Hornstedtia conoidea (Zingiberaceae) is a traditional medicinal plant in the Simeulue Islands. Previous studies on the Hornstedtia genus have reported various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, toxicity, antimicrobial, and glucosidase inhibitory effects; however, its anticancer activity, particularly against breast and cervical cancer, has not yet been scientifically validated. This study aimed to examine the antioxidant and anticancer activities of H. conoidea leaf extracts. The extraction process used solvents with different polarities (methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane). Phytochemical screening and measurements of total phenolic and flavonoid contents were conducted for each extract. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and antiproliferative activity against breast (MCF7) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cells was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results showed that the methanol leaf extract of H. conoidea contained alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, and terpenoids, with the highest total phenolic (314.69 ± 0.65 mg/g) and flavonoid (43.62 ± 1.20 mg/g) contents among the tested extracts. This extract also exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, with an IC₅₀ of 14.21± 0.100 µg/mL against DPPH. In addition, the methanol extract demonstrated higher antiproliferative activity against cancer cells compared to the other extracts, with IC₅₀ values of 287.09 ± 3.33 µg/mL for MCF7 cells and 384.78 ± 4.21µg/mL for HeLa cells; however, this activity is classified as weak. The methanolic and ethyl acetate leaf extracts of H. conoidea exhibited strong antioxidant activity, indicating their potential for further development as natural antioxidant agents. In contrast, the in vitro antiproliferative effects against breast and cervical cancer cells remain limited and require further investigation.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Hornstedtia conoidea leaf extract from Mount Sibao, Simeulue Island, Aceh, Indonesia contained alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and steroids.
- Methanol was the optimal solvent for extracting phenol and flavonoid compounds from Hornstedtia conoidea leaf in this study.
- Hornstedtia conoidea leaf methanolic extract exhibited very strong antioxidant activity, indicating its potential for further development as a novel therapeutic agent.
- Hornstedtia conoidea leaf extract exhibited weak inhibitory effects on the proliferation of breast and cervical cancer cells in vitro.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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