UHPLC-ESI-ms/ms-based characterisation of phenolics and flavonoids in hydroalcoholic extract of seeds and their cytotoxic potential against breast and pancreatic cancer.

Fourteen known phenolics () and ten known flavonoids () were identified in the hydroalcoholic extract of seeds. Phenolics such as gentisic acid (3), protocatechuic acid (), -coumaric acid () and -coumaric acid () and among flavonoids, myricetin () were detected as the major compounds. The compounds were determined simultaneously in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using the Acquity UPLC-H class coupled with TQD-MS/MS with an ESI source. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined. The hydroalcoholic extract evaluated for its cytotoxic effect against breast (MDA-MB-231) and pancreatic (PANC-1) cancer cells showed significant ( < 0.05) cytotoxicity with IC values of 45.4 and 96.5 µg/mL respectively. In addition, the cancer cells treated with the crude extract also showed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulated caspase -8/-9/-3 activities and apoptosis of cells treated with extracts compared to control suggesting the pharmacological importance of this herb.