Unveiling the Bioactive Potential of <i>Allium colchicifolium</i> Boiss Bulb Flavonoids: Anti-cancer Activities, and Computational Exploration of Anti-angiogenic Mechanisms
| Author | Mohammad Bagher Majnooni | en |
| Author | Mustafa Ghanadian | en |
| Author | Kamran Mansouri | en |
| Author | Golam Reza Bahrami | en |
| Author | Mahdi Mojarrab | en |
| Orcid | Mohammad Bagher Majnooni [0000-0001-5053-333X] | en |
| Orcid | Mustafa Ghanadian [0000-0001-6446-4734] | en |
| Orcid | Kamran Mansouri [0000-0002-5184-4583] | en |
| Orcid | Golam Reza Bahrami [0000-0002-5917-3040] | en |
| Orcid | Mahdi Mojarrab [0000-0002-9771-5373] | en |
| Issued Date | 2025-12-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Plants of the genus Allium show significant anti-cancer properties due to various phytochemicals, including flavonoids. Objectives: This study investigated the cytotoxic activities of the methanolic extract of Allium colchicifolium bulbs and its purified flavonoids. It also assessed the anti-angiogenic activities, a key mechanism of anti-cancer agents. Methods: The methanolic extract was fractionated using column chromatography (CC) on silica gel RP-18 and polyamide SC-6, then purified with Sephadex LH-20. The compounds were identified through spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Cytotoxicity and anti-angiogenic activities were evaluated using the MTT assay and the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, respectively. Computational modeling explored the potential anti-angiogenic mechanisms of the purified compounds. Additionally, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling predicted drug-likeness features. Results: Three flavonoids — quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (1), isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside (2), and quercetin (3) — were isolated and identified. Compounds 2 and 3 showed the highest cytotoxicity against PC3 (prostate cancer, IC50 = 1.72 ± 0.11 µg/mL) and MCF-7 (breast cancer, IC50 = 1.64 ± 0.11 µg/mL) cell lines. The methanolic extract and compound 3 also had potent anti-angiogenic effects with IC50 values of 4.2 ± 0.25 and 5.3 ± 0.3 µg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking indicated that compounds 1 and 3 had the strongest interactions with the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1, consistent with their anti-angiogenic activity. The ADMET profiling showed that compound 3 had the highest similarity to drug-like molecules. Conclusions: This was the first phytochemical study of flavonoids in A. colchicifolium bulbs. The results suggest that these bulbs could serve as a natural source for cancer prevention and treatment, owing to their cytotoxic and anti-angiogenic properties. Further research is needed to confirm these findings, and in vivo studies are essential to validate their therapeutic potential. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpr-163152 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/ijpr/articles/163152 | en |
| Keyword | <i>Allium colchicifolium</i> | en |
| Keyword | Phytochemical Study | en |
| Keyword | Flavonoids | en |
| Keyword | Cytotoxicity | en |
| Keyword | Anti-angiogenesis | en |
| Keyword | VEGF | en |
| Keyword | Column Chromatography | en |
| Keyword | Molecular Docking | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Unveiling the Bioactive Potential of <i>Allium colchicifolium</i> Boiss Bulb Flavonoids: Anti-cancer Activities, and Computational Exploration of Anti-angiogenic Mechanisms | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |