Optimization of polyphenol extraction, phenolic profile by LC-ESI-MS/MS, antioxidant, anti-enzymatic, and cytotoxic activities of Physalis acutifolia

During the current study, the phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured in Physalis acutifolia extracts with Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl3 methods, respectively. Various antioxidant assays, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, ABTS, reducing power, Fe2+-phenanthroline reduction, and silver nanoparticle assays, were also conducted, along with anti-enzymatic assays. The cytotoxicity of the ethanolic extract was assessed on cancer cell lines (i.e., CAPAN-1 and dld-1) and a healthy cell line (i.e., L929). Optimal parameters for polyphenol extraction were determined: extraction time of 72 h, solvent-to-plant ratio of 10 mL/1 g, and plant concentration of 90%. The n-butanol extract showed the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (i.e., 263.84 mg GAE/g dw and 72.03 QE/g dw, respectively), along with superior antioxidant and anti-enzymatic activities with IC50 values of 49.77 and 187.12 mu g/mL with acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase assays, respectively. LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis revealed 12 components, with hesperidin being the most abundant (i.e., 1829.0001 mu g/g). The ethanolic extract exhibited cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines, with an IC50 value of 0.959 mg/mL for dld-1, but with no effect on healthy cells. The bioavailability scores of the identified components support the in vitro findings and confirm the different assessed therapeutic effects.