Anticancer effect of Phyllanthus reticulatus methanolic leaf extract on HCT-116 colon cancer cell line using GC-MS and FTIR analysis.

Phyllanthus reticulatus is a plant species belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. The plant is native to tropical areas of India, Bangladesh, China, and the Malay Islands. The plant is known for its medicinal properties and has been traditionally used as a diuretic, cooling medicine, and remedy for spongy and bleeding gums. Literature revealed the plant's hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antinociceptive, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial, anticancer properties. A plant species with significant medicinal potential and its leaves have been studied for their potential therapeutic applications in managing diabetes and diarrhea. This study highlights the chemical profile of P. reticulatus methanolic leaf extract by phytochemical and GC-MS analysis, revealing nine major peaks with active chemical components. FTIR analysis showed the presence of six biologically active functional groups. The methanolic leaf extract showed the existence of 93.44 mg/g, a significant amount of phenolic content, and 55.35 mg/g of flavonoid content. The elemental concentration of plant leaf revealed the presence of 12 elements. The DPPH and PM assay showed the antioxidant properties of the leaf extract, as evidenced by its anticancer property of the leaf extract with 28.56 % cell growth inhibition on the HCT-116 colon cancer cell line at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. This is the first report on Phyllanthus reticulatus, which reports the spectroscopic and anticancer properties of the leaf extract on colon cancer. The study opens avenues for further investigation into the bioactive constituents of Phyllanthus reticulatus leaves and their mechanisms of action, paving the way for future studies and potential drug development.