Comparative Phytochemical Profiling and Cytotoxic Activity of Ranunculus polyanthemus Linnaeus and Ranunculus oxyspermus M.B. Extracts on HepG2 Hepatocellular Carcinoma and L6 Myoblasts
Abstract
This study presents a comparative phytochemical and cytotoxic evaluation of ethanol extracts from Ranunculus polyanthemus L. and R. 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.
