The ethyl acetate extract from Abutilon fruticosum Guill and Perr. as a potential diabetes–cancer prophylactic: A cytotoxic, α-glucosidase, and in-silico study

• Published in: South African journal of botany 2023-05, Vol.156, p.110-114
• Main Authors: Gouda, Hanaa Mohamed, Morsy, Amal Ahmed, Youssef, Adel Kamel, Tolba, Inas Abd El-Moaty, Selim, Ahmed A.M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abutilon; Abutilon fruticosum; acarbose; chemical constituents of plants; cinnamic acid; computer simulation; Cytotoxicity; enzymes; ethyl acetate; fractionation; genus; In-silico; kaempferol; lactic acid; liver; lungs; moieties; neoplasm cells; Phytoconstituents; α-glucosidase
• ISSN: 0254-6299; 1727-9321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2023.03.013

Bioassay-guided fractionation of Abutilon fruticosum (Malvacaea) extracts against lung and liver carcinoma cell lines and α-glucosidase enzyme showed that the ethyl acetate extract was the most active, with moderate cytotoxicity in both cell lines and potent α-glucosidase inhibitory (AGI) activity. The isolation and identification of major phytoconstituents from the ethyl acetate extract yielded six compounds, which were identified as: 1 2-O-(4-coumaroyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) lactic acid, 2 p-coumaroyl-N-tyrosine, 3N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine, and 4N-trans-feruloyltyramine. For the first time, these compounds were isolated from genus Abutilon, in addition to 5 kaempferol and 6 kaempferol-3-O-β-glucoside. Although most are non-sugar compounds, in-silico investigations on the four phenylethyl cinnamic acid derivatives (1- 4) as potential AGIs showed structural similarities to acarbose and an ability to bind to some of the amino acids that acarbose bind to. Our in-silico investigations suggested that compounds 1 and 2, via their carboxylic acid moieties, were more potent AGIs than compounds 3 and 4 which lacked this moiety. [Display omitted] •This is the first bioassay-guided fractionation study of Abutilon fruticosum extracts.•Ethyl acetate fraction was the most active with moderate cytotoxicity and potent α-glucosidase inhibitor activities.•Four phenylethyl cinnamic acid derivatives isolated for the first time from Abutilon and one from Malvaceae.•Four phenylethyl cinnamic acid derivatives have structural similarities with acarbose.•Compounds 1 and 2 are potent AGIs.