Antioxidants And Anticancer Activity of Two Extracts of Thyme Leaves Based On Partition Coefficient

Abstract

Thymus vulgaris Linn. contains phytochemicals that may exhibit cytotoxic and cytogenic activities. Different solvents have different abilities in dissolving plant bioactive compounds. The current study aimed to identify the profile of bioactive compounds in thyme leaves and their anticancer properties. The extraction was done using two solvents on the same amount of thyme, depending on the partition coefficient (log p). These solvents were acetone (ATE) and ethanol 80% (ETE), respectively. The approximate chemical composition of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) leave extract (TLE) was studied. Phytochemical screening of studied extracts revealed some differences in their constituents. The extracts were investigated for total polyphenols and total flavonoid, and the scavenging activity of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) leaf extracts against 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and β-Carotene free radicals was determined. LC/MS-MS polyphenolic fractions in studied extracts were carried out, and the cytotoxic effect of studied extracts against human cell lines HCT 116 and PC3 occurred. The results showed that the major components in ATE were (naringenin 8019.63 mg/ellagic acid 9.97 mg/ chlorogenic acid 3.6 mg/ quercetin 821.95 mg/ rutin 271.06 mg/ and apigenin 29.96 mg); in ETE, they were (naringenin 2027.04mg/ gallic acid 41.96mg/ apigenin 14.53mg/ chlorogenic acid 82.87mg/ ellagic acid 3.74 mg/ rutin 613.63mg/ and quercetin 220.58mg). Data showed that ACETON extract of thyme (ATE) possessed good potent inhibitory activities against HCT 116 and PC3 cell lines. The anticancer effect of acetone extract of thyme (ATE) encourages the use of it as protective agents for normal cell lines, while the other samples showed the lowest effect on HCT 116 and PC3 cell lines. We conclude that TLE offers great promise in the creation of phytomedicine with anticancer qualities, and drugs developed from TLE may serve as an alternative medicinal source due to their anticancer activities.