Chemometric analysis and quantification of major anti-cancer activity compounds from leaves of soursop (Annona muricata Linn.)

Abstract

Soursop (Annona muricata) is used as an effective phytomedicine for treatment of cancer, and our study focused on chemometric analysis of anti-cancer compounds from leaf phytochemicals extracted with six varying solvents. GC–MS chemoprofiling of leaf extracts from ethyl acetate, ethanol, water, hexane, hexane: isopropanol (3:2) and acetonitrile resulted in identification of 52 phytochemicals. Of which, 12 compounds were reported to have anti-cancer activities. It consists of fatty acid derivatives and sesquiterpenes with higher relative abundance. Caryophyllene, n-hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, phytols, squalene in ethyl acetate extracts were identified as predominant leaf phytochemicals through HCA. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups like hydroxyl groups, α, β-unsaturated ketones, esters and carboxylic acids stretching vibrations in all leaf extracts. Interestingly, 2ʹ-hydroxy-5ʹ methylchalcone (flavonoid) is reported for the first time using GC–MS and FT-IR techniques. Quantitatively, ethyl acetate leaf extracts recorded the highest concentration of major annonaceous acetogenin, annonacin (5.76 ± 0.002 mg AN g⁻¹ of sample) and flavonoids (31.112 ± 0.5763 mg QE g⁻¹ of sample), both possessing reported anti-cancer activity. In addition, phenolics (14.63 ± 0.34 mg GAE g⁻¹ of sample) and alkaloids (18.11 ± 0.21 mg QN g⁻¹ of leaf sample) of reasonable concentration are also present in ethyl acetate extract. Maximum concentration of total phenolics is from water (21.13 ± 0.23 mg GAE g⁻¹ of sample) and alkaloids from hexane (19.911 ± 0.10 mg QN g⁻¹ of sample) extracts. Chemoprofiling of major marker compounds with anti-cancer activity from leaves of A. muricata could be helpful in developing better formulations for cancer treatment.