HPLC analysis, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of different extracts of Costus speciosus against HePG-2 cell lines.

• Polyphenols are important metabolites in plants and have some human health benefits. • Costus speciosus is herbaceous plant has various pharmacological properties. • HPLC analysis identified a total of 13 compounds in C. speciosus. • The aqueous ethanol and methanol extracts showed various antioxidant activities. • Methanolic extract showed a potential anticancer property against HePG2 cell lines. This study aimed to assess the effect of extraction time on the quantitative polyphenolic content, to qualitative the polyphenols of different solvent extracts, to establish the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity against hepatocelular carcinoma (HePG-2) cell lines of C. speciosus extracts. Total falvonoids and polyphenols content in the ethanolic extract was the highest followed by the methanolic then the aqueous extracts and they were increased by increasing the extraction time. The HPLC analysis identified a total of 13 compounds in each extract with different concentrations. Quercetin, Caffeic acid, and gallic acid were high in the aqueous extract, while the hydroalcoholic extracts were rich in syringic acid, chlorogenic acid and naringenin. All the tested extracts have an appreciable antioxidant inhibiting effect with some slight variations with the exception of beta-carotene test and reducing power ions Chelating assay where the hydroalcoholic extracts showed an activity higher than 50% compared to the aqueous extract. Methanolic extract showed a potential anticancer property against HePG2 cell lines followed by the ethanol extract, then the water extract which showed a weak anticancer property. The current results indicated that C. speciosus is rich in polyphenols content which modulate the hazardous effects of free radicals and oxidative stress as well as its anticancer property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]