Phytochemical Profiling and in Vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Ipomoea Pes- Tigridis on Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Medicinal plants remain an important source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. The present study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical composition and in-vitro biological activities of the ethanolic leaf extract of Ipomoea pes-tigridis, with emphasis on antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties. Leaves were extracted by the maceration method using ethanol, and the extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, carbohydrates, and proteins. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Escherichia coli using the agar well diffusion method, where the extract exhibited concentration-dependent inhibition, with a maximum zone of inhibition of 18 mm at 200 µg/ml, while ethanol showed no activity. Antioxidant potential was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay, and the extract demonstrated moderate free-radical scavenging activity, showing 57.3% inhibition at the highest tested concentration. Cytotoxic activity was determined by the MTT assay on A549 human lung cancer cell lines. The extract produced a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, with an IC₅₀ value of 88.25 µg/ml, indicating moderate cytotoxic potential. Overall, the findings suggest that Ipomoea pes-tigridis leaves possess significant phytochemical diversity and exhibit notable antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. These results support the traditional medicinal use of the plant and indicate its potential as a natural source of bioactive compounds for further pharmacological investigation.