Chemoprofiling and in vitro evaluation of anticancer, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Asparagus racemosus (Willd)

Abstract

Near around 50% of the current chemotherapeutic drugs are direct or indirect descendant compounds isolated from medicinal plants, which indicate that plants are great potential sources of novel therapeutics. The purpose of this study was to carry out the phytochemical screening, in vitro antioxidant potential, antibacterial activity and anticancer potential of Asparagus racemosus. Phytochemicals were extracted by maceration and decoction methods from shade dried areal parts of the plant Asparagus racemosus using ethanol and water as solvents. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the plant extracts was performed to identify the phytoconstituents of the plant. The antioxidant potential was determined by performing DPPH assay and the antibacterial and anticancer potential were determined by carrying out the disk diffusion method and Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay respectively. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 37 phytochemical compounds in the aqueous leaf extract of Asparagus racemosus. However, in case of ethanolic leaf extract of Asparagus racemosus, 25 phytochemical compounds were revealed via GC-MS analysis. The extracts were screened for their antimicrobial activity on three different strains of human pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Both, ARE and ARA showed the maximum inhibition against Klebsiella pneumoniae. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus were further determined revealing their effectiveness. The results from SRB assay revealed that the ethanolic plant extract showed more cytotoxic effect on most of the cell lines in a concentration dependent manner. More inhibitory effects were shown by HCT-116 followed by A549 and then Mia-PaCa cell lines by the both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Asparagus racemosus. From the results, it is evident that Asparagus racemosus contains various phytocomponents of therapeutic potential and can be recommended as a plant of phytopharmaceutical importance.