In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity and Phytochemical Characterization (UPLC/T-TOF-MS/MS) of the Watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ) Rind Extract

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-04, Vol.27 (8), p.2480
• Main Authors: El Gizawy, Heba A, El-Haddad, Alaadin E, Attia, Yasmin M, Fahim, Sally A, Zafer, Mai M, Saadeldeen, Amr M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aglycones; Agricultural wastes; Angiogenesis; Annexin V; Antineoplastic Agents - metabolism; Apoptosis; Bcl-2 protein; bcl-2-Associated X Protein - metabolism; Bioactive compounds; Biocompatibility; cancer cell lines; Cancer therapies; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Caspase-3; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell cycle; Cell death; Cell growth; Cell proliferation; Citrullus - chemistry; Citrullus lanatus; Cytotoxicity; Flavonoids; Flow cytometry; Food waste; Fruits; Gene expression; Humans; Metastasis; Pharmaceutical industry; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Phytochemicals - metabolism; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - metabolism; S phase; Solid wastes; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Tumor cell lines; Vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGF; Water melons; Wound healing
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27082480

Reusing food waste is becoming popular in pharmaceutical industries. Watermelon ( ) rind is commonly discarded as a major solid waste. Here, the in vitro cytotoxic potential of watermelon rind extracts was screened against a panel of human cancer cell lines. Cell cycle analysis was used to determine the induction of cell death, whereas annexin V-FITC binding, caspase-3, BAX, and BCL-2 mRNA expression levels were used to determine the degree of apoptosis. VEGF-promoting angiogenesis and cell migration were also evaluated. Moreover, the identification of phytoconstituents in the rind extract was achieved using UPLC/T-TOF-MS/MS, and a total of 45 bioactive compounds were detected, including phenolic acids, flavonoids aglycones, and their glycoside derivatives. The tested watermelon rind extracts suppressed cell proliferation in seven cancer cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. The cytotoxicity of the rind aqueous extract (RAE) was higher compared with that of the other extracts. In addition to a substantial inhibitory effect on cell migration, the RAE triggered apoptosis in HCT116 and Hep2 cells by driving the accumulation of cells in the S phase and elevating the activity of caspase-3 and the BAX/BCL-2 ratio. Thus, a complete phytochemical and cytotoxic investigation of the rind extract may identify its potential potency as an anticancer agent.