Investigation of Anticancer and Anti-Migration Potentials of Verbascum tenue Murb. and Analysis of its Bioactive Compounds using LC–ESI–MS/MS
Abstract
Verbascum species (Scrophulariaceae) are recognized in ethnopharmacology for their diverse therapeutic properties. To investigate these claims scientifically, this study characterized a methanol extract of Verbascum tenue Murb., leaves (VTE) for its phytochemical composition, in vitro cytotoxicity, and anti-migratory activity. Phytochemical profiling via LC-ESI-MS/MS identified nine compounds, with vanillic acid, vanillin, and trans-ferulic acid as the major constituents. The cytotoxic effects of VTE were evaluated on a panel of cell lines—including SKOV-3 (ovarian adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (breast carcinoma), U87 (glioblastoma), and HDF (human dermal fibroblast) cells—using the MTT assay across a concentration range of 15.625–500 µg/mL. VTE exhibited differential cytotoxicity, with IC₅₀ values of 236.74 µg/mL in SKOV-3 cells, 374.5 µg/mL in MCF-7 cells, and 386.68 µg/mL in HDF cells. The wound healing assay was conducted with 125 µg/mL VTE, a concentration selected for its high toxicity on SKOV-3 (viability 59.21%) and low toxicity on HDF (viability 91.06%). VTE significantly suppressed wound closure to 25.86% relative to the 40.36% observed in controls over 12 hours. This inhibition of cell migration, in conjunction with its cytotoxic profile, supports the potential of VTE as an agent with both anticancer and anti-metastatic properties.
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Ethical Statement
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Plant Biochemistry
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Israt Jahan
0000-0003-4166-1617
Türkiye
Cumali Keskin
*
0000-0003-3758-0654
Türkiye
Ayşe Baran
0000-0002-2317-0489
Türkiye
Deniz Evrim Kavak
0000-0002-9681-4468
Türkiye
Murat Kılıç
0000-0002-6408-9660
Türkiye
Early Pub Date
September 20, 2026
Publication Date
-
Submission Date
September 27, 2025
Acceptance Date
February 22, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication
