Plants from the genus Astragalus are gaining attention for their pharmacological importance. However, the information available regarding the HPLC-MS/MS chemical profile of A. fruticosus is inadequate. In this study, we performed HPLC-MS/MS analysis using electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). We tentatively identified 11 compounds in the A. fruticosus methanolic extract, including five flavonoidal and six saponin glycosides. The extract showed moderate antioxidant activity with 21.05% reduction in DPPH UV absorption. The preliminary cytotoxic screening against seven human cancer cell lines using 100 μg/mL extract showed prominent cytotoxic potential against colorectal cancer HCT-116 with 3.368% cell viability. It also showed moderate cytotoxic potential against prostate (DU-145), ovarian (SKOV-3) and lung (A-549) cancer cell lines with cell viability of 14.25%, 16.02% and 27.24%, respectively. The IC50 of the total extract against HCT-116 and DU-145 cell lines were 7.81 μg/mL and 40.79 μg/mL, respectively. The observed cytotoxicity of the total methanolic extract from the leaves against colorectal cancer might facilitate future investigations on cytotoxic agent(s) for disease management.

Department of Anatomy Faculty of Medicine University of Jeddah Jeddah 21959 Saudi Arabia

Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Damanhour University Damanhour 22511 Egypt

Department of biology College of Science Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University P O Box 84428 Riyadh 11671 Saudi Arabia

Department of Natural Drugs Faculty of Pharmacy Masaryk University 60300 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Pharmacognosy Faculty of Pharmacy Damanhour University Damanhour 22511 Egypt

Department of Pharmacognosy Faculty of Pharmacy Delta University for Science and Technology Mansoura 35511 Egypt

Department of Zoonoses Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Sohag University Sohag 82524 Egypt

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Rather S.A., Wei Y., Wang J., Zhao L., Chang Z. Comparative study of floral developments and its systematic importance in the genus Astragalus L. and Oxytropis DC. (Fabaceae, Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) Biologia. 2021;76:865–888. doi: 10.1007/s11756-021-00688-y. DOI

Ionkova I., Shkondrov A., Krasteva I., Ionkov T. Recent progress in phytochemistry, pharmacology and biotechnology of Astragalus saponins. Phytochem. Rev. 2014;13:343–374. doi: 10.1007/s11101-014-9347-3. DOI

Rios J., Waterman P. A review of the pharmacology and toxicology of Astragalus. Phytother. Res. 1997;11:411–418. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199709)11:6<411::AID-PTR132>3.0.CO;2-6. DOI

Krasteva I., Toshkova R., Nikolov S. Protective effect of Astragalus corniculatus saponins against myeloid graffi tumour in hamsters. Phytother. Res. Int. J. Devoted Pharmacol. Toxicol. Eval. Nat. Prod. Deriv. 2004;18:255–257. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1277. PubMed DOI

Lin S., An X., Guo Y., Gu J., Xie T., Wu Q., Sui X. Meta-analysis of astragalus-containing traditional chinese medicine combined with chemotherapy for colorectal cancer: Efficacy and safety to tumor response. Front. Oncol. 2019;9:749. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00749. PubMed DOI PMC

Asgarpanah J., Motamed S.M., Farzaneh A., Ghanizadeh B., Tomraee S. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid content of Astragalus squarrosus Bunge. Afr. J. Biotechnol. 2011;10:19176–19180. doi: 10.5897/AJB11.3073. DOI

Allam R.M., Selim D.A., Ghoneim A.I., Radwan M.M., Nofal S.M., Khalifa A.E., Sharaf O.A., Toaima S.M., Asaad A.M., El-Sebakhy N.A. Hepatoprotective effects of Astragalus kahiricus root extract against ethanol-induced liver apoptosis in rats. Chin. J. Nat. Med. 2013;11:354–361. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(13)60052-7. PubMed DOI

Verotta L., Guerrini M., El-Sebakhy N., Asaad A.M., Toaima S.M., Abou-Sheer M.E., Luo Y.-D., Pezzuto J.M. Cycloartane saponins from Astragalus peregrinus as modulators of lymphocyte proliferation. Fitoterapia. 2001;72:894–905. doi: 10.1016/S0367-326X(01)00339-2. PubMed DOI

Verotta L., Guerrini M., El-Sebakhy N.A., Assad A.M., Toaima S.M., Radwan M.M., Luo Y.-D., Pezzuto J.M. Cycloartane and oleanane saponins from Egyptian Astragalus spp. as modulators of lymphocyte proliferation. Planta Med. 2002;68:986–994. doi: 10.1055/s-2002-35654. PubMed DOI

Tackholm V., Boulos L. Students’ Flora of Egypt. 2nd ed. Cairo University; Cairo, Egypt: 1974. pp. 261–271.

Boulos L. Flora of Egypt. Volume 1. Al-Hadara Publishing; Cairo, Egypt: 1999. pp. 320–336. DOI

El-Mawla A., Attia A. Production of flavonoids in cell cultures of Astragalus sieberi DC. Bull. Pharm. Sci. Assiut. 2002;25:79–83. doi: 10.21608/bfsa.2002.65511. DOI

Salem M.A., Farid M.M., El-Shabrawy M., Mohammed R., Hussein S.R., Marzouk M.M. Spectrometric analysis, chemical constituents and cytotoxic evaluation of Astragalus sieberi DC. (Fabaceae) Sci. Afr. 2020;7:e00221. doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2019.e00221. DOI

Verotta L., Tatò M., El-Sebakhy N.A., Toaima S.M. Cycloartane triterpene glycosides from Astragalus sieberi. Phytochemistry. 1998;48:1403–1409. doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(98)00042-9. PubMed DOI

Radwan M.M., El-Sebakhy N.A., Asaad A.M., Toaima S.M., Kingston D.G. Kahiricosides II–V, cycloartane glycosides from an Egyptian collection of Astragalus kahiricus. Phytochemistry. 2004;65:2909–2913. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2004.08.037. PubMed DOI

Perrone A., Masullo M., Plaza A., Hamed A., Piacente S. Flavone and flavonol glycosides from Astragalus eremophilus and Astragalus vogelii. Nat. Prod. Commun. 2009;4:487–490. doi: 10.1177/1934578X0900400117. PubMed DOI

Perrone A., Masullo M., Bassarello C., Bloise E., Hamed A., Nigro P., Pizza C., Piacente S. Unusual cycloartane glycosides from Astragalus eremophilus. Tetrahedron. 2008;64:5061–5071. doi: 10.1016/j.tet.2008.03.069. DOI

Ibrahim L.F., Marzouk M.M., Hussein S.R., Kawashty S.A., Mahmoud K., Saleh N.A. Flavonoid constituents and biological screening of Astragalus bombycinus Boiss. Nat. Prod. Res. 2013;27:386–393. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2012.701213. PubMed DOI

Hussein S.R., Marzouk M.M., Kawashty S.A. Flavonoids as chemosystematic markers of Astragalus bombycinus Boiss. and Astragalus peregrinus Vahl growing in Egypt. Egypt. Pharm. J. 2018;17:67–70. doi: 10.4103/epj.epj_39_17. DOI

Abd El-Latif R., Shabana M., El-Gandour A., Mansour R., Sharaf M. A new isoflavone from Astragalus peregrinus. Chem. Nat. Compd. 2003;39:536–537. doi: 10.1023/B:CONC.0000018105.23722.7d. DOI

El-Hawiet A.M., Toaima S.M., Asaad A.M., Radwan M.M., El-Sebakhy N.A. Chemical constituents from Astragalus annularis Forssk. and A. trimestris L., Fabaceae. Rev. Bras. De Farmacogn. 2010;20:860–865. doi: 10.1590/S0102-695X2010005000047. DOI

Radwan M.M., Farooq A., El-Sebakhy N.A., Asaad A.M., Toaima S.M., Kingston D.G. Acetals of Three New Cycloartane-Type Saponins from Egyptian Collections of Astragalus tomentosus. J. Nat. Prod. 2004;67:487–490. doi: 10.1021/np030395a. PubMed DOI

El-Sebakhy N.A., Harraz F.M., Abdallah R.M., Asaad A.M., Orsini F., Pelizzoni F., Sello G., Verotta L. Cycloartane triterpene glycosides from Egyptian Astragalus species. Phytochemistry. 1990;29:3271–3274. doi: 10.1016/0031-9422(90)80198-P. DOI

Abdallah R., Ghazy N., Assad A., El-Sebakhy A., Pirillo A. Constituents of the Egyptian Astragalus tomentosus Lam. Pharmazie. 1994;49:377–378.

Korany M., Moneeb M., Asaad A., El-Sebakhy N., El-Banna A. Analysis of astragalosides I, II and IV in some Egyptian Astragalus species and Astragalus dietary supplements using high-performance liquid chromatography/evaporative light scattering detector and non-parametric regression. Phytochem. Anal. PCA. 2020;31:594–605. doi: 10.1002/pca.2925. PubMed DOI

Shabana M. New flavonol glycoside from Astragalus spinosus forssk. Egypt. J. Pharm. Sci. 2002;43:19–27.

Aboul-Enein A.M., El-Ela F.A., Shalaby E.A., El-Shemy H.A. Traditional medicinal plants research in Egypt: Studies of antioxidant and anticancer activities. J. Med. Plants Res. 2012;6:689–703. doi: 10.5897/JMPR11.968. DOI

El-Sebakhy N.A., Asaad A.M., Abdallah R.M., Toaima S.M., Verotta L., Orsini F. Constituents of Egyptian Astragalus tribuloides Del. Nat. Prod. Sci. 2000;6:11–15.

El-Sebakhy N.A., Asaad A.M., Abdallah R.M., Toaima S.M., Abdel-Kader M.S., Stermitz F.R. Antimicrobial isoflavans from Astragalus species. Phytochemistry. 1994;36:1387–1389. doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89728-9. PubMed DOI

Shaker K.H., Bernhardt M., Elgamal M.H.A., Seifert K. Triterpenoid saponins from Astragalus trigonus. Z. Für Nat. C. 2001;56:699–702. doi: 10.1515/znc-2001-9-1005. PubMed DOI

Gariboldi P., Pelizzoni F., Tatò M., Verotta L., El-Sebakhy N., Asaad A.M., Abdallah R.M., Toaima S.M. Cycloartane triterpene glycosides from Astragalus trigonus. Phytochemistry. 1995;40:1755–1760. doi: 10.1016/0031-9422(95)00544-H. PubMed DOI

Orsini F., Verotta L., Barboni L., El-Sebakhy N.A., Asaad A.M., Abdallah R.M., Toaima S.M. Cycloartane triterpene glycosides from Astragalus alexandrinus. Phytochemistry. 1994;35:745–749. doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(00)90598-3. PubMed DOI

Makboul M.A., El-Shanawany M., Abdel-Baky A. Study of the lipid and flavonoid contents of Astragalus cremophilos Boiss. growing in Egypt. Bull. Pharm. Sci. Assiut. 1984;7:380–388. doi: 10.21608/bfsa.1984.89868. DOI

Zayed R.A., El-Sayed A.S., Ismaeil W.M. In vitro Micropropagation, biological activities and phenolic profile of Astragalus fruticosus Forssk. Asian J. Plant Sci. 2022;21:192–202. doi: 10.3923/ajps.2022.192.202. DOI

Mendonça S.C., Simas R.C., Reis Simas D.L., Leitão S.G., Leitão G.G. Mass spectrometry as a tool for the dereplication of saponins from Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke bark and wood. Phytochem. Anal. 2021;32:262–282. doi: 10.1002/pca.2972. PubMed DOI

Moqbel H., El Hawary S.S.E.D., Sokkar N.M., El-Naggar E.M.B., El Boghdady N., El Halawany A.M. HPLC-ESI-MS/MS characterization of phenolics in Prunus amygdalus, cultivar “umm alfahm” and its antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity. J. Food Meas. Charact. 2018;12:808–819. doi: 10.1007/s11694-017-9695-y. DOI

Ibrahim R.M., El-Halawany A.M., Saleh D.O., Naggar E.M.B.E., El-Shabrawy A.E.-R.O., El-Hawary S.S. HPLC-DAD-MS/MS profiling of phenolics from Securigera securidaca flowers and its anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities. Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 2015;25:134–141. doi: 10.1016/j.bjp.2015.02.008. DOI

El Newehy N.M., Abd-Alhaseeb M.M., Omran G.A., Harraz F.M., Shawky E. Comparative metabolomics reveal intraspecies variability in bioactive compounds of different cultivars of pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L.) and their waste by-products. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2022;102:5891–5902. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.11940. PubMed DOI

Chu C., Qi L.-W., Liu E.-H., Li B., Gao W., Li P. Radix Astragali (Astragalus): Latest advancements and trends in chemistry, analysis, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics. Curr. Org. Chem. 2010;14:1792–1807. doi: 10.2174/138527210792927663. DOI

Montoro P., Teyeb H., Masullo M., Mari A., Douki W., Piacente S. LC–ESI-MS quali-quantitative determination of phenolic constituents in different parts of wild and cultivated Astragalus gombiformis. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2013;72:89–98. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2012.09.014. PubMed DOI

Shkondrov A.M., Krasteva I.N. High resolution LC-MS/MS screening for secondary metabolites in bulgarian species of genus Astragalus L. Química Nova. 2021;44:683–688. doi: 10.21577/0100-4042.20170730. DOI

Bedir E., Çalis I., Aquino R., Piacente S., Pizza C. Secondary metabolites from the roots of Astragalus trojanus. J. Nat. Prod. 1999;62:563–568. doi: 10.1021/np980399t. PubMed DOI

Li-Xian G., Xiano-Bing H., Yu-Qun C. Astrasieversianins IX, XI and XV, cycloartane derived saponins from Astragalus sieversianus. Phytochemistry. 1986;25:1437–1441. doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(00)81305-9. DOI

Bedir E., Tatli I.I., Calis I., Khan I.A. Trojanosides I—K: New cycloartane-type glycosides from the aerial parts of Astragalus trojanus. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 2001;49:1482–1486. doi: 10.1248/cpb.49.1482. PubMed DOI

Kavtaradze N., Alaniya M., Masullo M., Cerulli A., Piacente S. New Flavone Glycosides from Astragalus tanae Endemic to Georgia. Chem. Nat. Compd. 2020;56:70–74. doi: 10.1007/s10600-020-02946-y. DOI

Yili A., Aisa H., Isaev M. Betulinic acid and sterols from Astragalus altaicus. Chem. Nat. Compd. 2009;45:592–594. doi: 10.1007/s10600-009-9377-z. DOI

Iskenderov D., Keneshov B., Isaev M. Triterpene glycosides from Astragalus and their genins. LXXVI. Glycosides from A. sieversianus. Chem. Nat. Compd. 2008;44:319–323. doi: 10.1007/s10600-008-9052-9. DOI

Radwan M.M., El-Sebakhy N.A., Asaad A.M., Toaima S.M., Kingston D.G. Spinocoumarin I, a new coumarin Derivative from Astragalus spinosus Forssk. Nat. Prod. Commun. 2007;2:919–922. doi: 10.1177/1934578X0700200910. DOI

Zhang Y., Wang B., Lu F., Wang L., Ding Y., Kang X. Plant-derived antioxidants incorporated into active packaging intended for vegetables and fatty animal products: A review. Food Addit. Contam. Part A. 2021;38:1237–1248. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2021.1885745. PubMed DOI

Tarek M.O., Sary K.A., Mohamed A.K., Mohamed M.A. Chemopreventive and anticancer activities of indomethacin and vitamin D combination on colorectal cancer induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats. Biomed. Rep. 2021;14:27. doi: 10.3892/br.2020.1403. PubMed DOI PMC

Allam R.M., Al-Abd A.M., Khedr A., Sharaf O.A., Nofal S.M., Khalifa A.E., Mosli H.A., Abdel-Naim A.B. Fingolimod interrupts the cross talk between estrogen metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism within prostate cancer cells. Toxicol. Lett. 2018;291:77–85. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.04.008. PubMed DOI

Skehan P., Storeng R., Scudiero D., Monks A., McMahon J., Vistica D., Warren J.T., Bokesch H., Kenney S., Boyd M.R. New colorimetric cytotoxicity assay for anticancer-drug screening. JNCI J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 1990;82:1107–1112. doi: 10.1093/jnci/82.13.1107. PubMed DOI