Profiling Bioactive Compounds and Assessing In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Wild Ruta graveolens (Rue) Subfractions

The ethnopharmacological importance of Rue lies in its traditional use for treating various diseases. Ruta graveolens (Rue) is widely used for a range of medicinal purposes. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of Rue subfractions against breast and liver cancer. Additionally, the polyphenolic profile of Rue alcoholic extract was analyzed using HPLC, and the in vitro antioxidant activity of different solvent extracts of Rue was evaluated. HPLC analysis identified twenty-four phenolic acids, with pyrogallol as the main component, followed by vanillic acid, along with twenty flavonoids, with rutin being the predominant flavonoid. Furthermore, Rue fractions exhibited anticancer activity, particularly the EtOAc subfraction, which demonstrated superior anticancer effects in both HepG2 and MDA-MB cell lines. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the EtOAc subfraction of Rue, which contains a high amount of rutin, may serve as a safe and natural anticancer agent. Overall, this study highlights the potential of Rue subfractions as valuable and promising natural sources for developing new therapeutic compounds in the future.