Chemical composition and bioactivities of the methanol root extracts of Saussurea costus

Saussurea costus (S. costus) is a medicinal plant from the Asteraceae family that is widely used in traditional medicine in Saudi Arabia. This study examines S. costus root extract for its chemical composition and its antioxidant, anti-cancer, and antibacterial properties. The results of the study on the methanol root extract of S. costus reveal a rich chemical composition, as identified by GC-MS/FID analysis. The extract also showed high levels of total phenolic content (188.2 ± 2.1 mg GAE/g DM) and total flavonoid content (129 ± 2.6 mg QE/g DM). In antioxidant tests, the extract exhibited strong activity, with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 137.15 μg/mL for ABTS and 175.5 μg/mL for DPPH as compared to positive control’s IC50 values of 45.5 ± 0.3 μg/mL for ABTS and 55.3 ± 0.1 μg/mL for DPPH. The cytotoxic assessment against MCF-7 and A549 cell lines showed notable effects, particularly at higher concentrations. Additionally, the extract induced apoptosis in these cell lines, evidenced by changes in gene expression. Antibacterial tests revealed significant activity against various strains, with MIC values ranging from 7.81 to 125 μg/mL. The study underscores the importance of plant extracts in modern healthcare and suggests future research directions, including clinical applications and compound identification.