Abstract
Zanthoxylum rhetsa is a traditional medicinal plant species used locally amongst the inhabitants of Northeast India, owing to its anti-septic, anti-bacterial, and anti-diabetic properties. Various reports have suggested that the occurrence of diverse secondary metabolites may be accountable for the medicinal activities. In this study, we have examined the fruit of Z.rhetsa to identify the secondary metabolites present and examine their in vitro anticancer activity in human liver HepG2 and glioblastoma U87MG cancer cell lines. Chemical profiling was carried out by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) techniques in the ethanolic fruit extract. Additionally, molecular docking was performed with the compounds from GC-MS profiling to assess their interaction with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein. Phytochemical screening of Z.rhetsa fruit showed remarkable anti-oxidant activity and the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenols in it. The findings demonstrated that the extracts exhibited a dose-dependent anticancer activity on HepG2 and U87MG cell lines, with ethanolic extract demonstrating the highest potency. Experimental findings also revealed the apoptotic activity of the fruit extract via DNA fragmentation and a live dead assay and antiproliferative effect, as seen by a remarkable decrease in colony formation of the cells. Chemical profiling by GC-MS analysis in the ethanolic fruit extract demonstrated the presence of Nerolidol, a compound previously reported for its cytotoxicity against cancer cells. A molecular docking study of Nerolidol and EGFR demonstrated low binding energy in a protein-ligand complex. Our study reported the cytotoxic activity of ethanolic fruit extract of Zanthoxylum rhetsa potentially attributed to several secondary metabolites

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Copyright (c) 2025 Jesmin Sultana1, Ankur Jyoti Deka, Subhash Medhi (Author)