Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects, and casticin contents of Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) fruit extract from five geographical regions of Turkey.Methods: Casticin determination in VAC fruit extracts was performed using HPLC-DAD method. The method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy and precision. The methanol extracts of the VAC fruits were analyzed for antioxidant effects using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging capacity, metal-chelation capacity assay, radical cation scavenging capacity (ABTS•+), and total phenolic content. The cytotoxic potential of the extracts against NRK-52E and HeLa cells were determined using MTT and LDH assays.Results: The casticin content of the extracts ranged from 0.048 and 0.152 %. Total phenol content was in the range of 36.67 ± 0.7 to 74.20 ± 1.02 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 mg of extracts. High-tomoderate antioxidant properties were observed in the extracts. Cytotoxicity data demonstrated that all extracts showed high cytotoxic effects on HeLa cell line when compared to the NRK-52E cell line (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest that VAC fruits (Monk’s pepper fruits) from Aegean sea coasts have a potential for use in the preparation of phytopharmaceutical products.
 Keywords: Vitex agnus-castus, Casticin, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic activity, Anticancer
Highlights
Monk’s pepper (V. agnus-castus L.) is a plant that grows in the Mediterranean region
Among all the extracts obtained from Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) fruits collected from 5 different locations, the methanol extract of VB had the highest percentage extract yield
The HPLC method was used for quantification of casticin from fruits of VAC
Summary
Monk’s pepper (V. agnus-castus L.) is a plant that grows in the Mediterranean region. The fruits have long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gynecological problems all around the world [1]. The fruit extract of VAC is an approved medication for the treatment of menstrual disorders, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), mastalgia and mastodynie. The beneficial effects of VAC in gynecological treatments have gained the attention of the pharmaceutical. -©---2-0--2--0---T--h-e---a--u-t-h--o-r-s----T-h--i-s--w--o--r-k--i-s--l-i-c-e--n-s--e--d--u--n-d--e--r--th--e---C--r-e-a--t-i-v-e---C--o--m--m--o-T-n-r-so--pA--t-Jt-r-iP-b-hu--at-ior--mn---4R-.-e0-s--I,n-J-t-ue--rn-ne-a--2t-i0o--2n--0a-;l--L1--i9c-(-e-6n-)-s:--e1--2--7-7 industry [2,3]. This well-known aromatic shrub grows extensively in coastal areas of Turkey and its fruits are used in Anatolian folk medicine as diuretic, digestive, antifungal, and anxiety medication, and as remedy for stomach ache [4]. Several studies on biological activities of VAC have reported its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties [5,6,7]
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