In-vitro screening of bio-potency of Cocos nucifera haustorium and its efficacy against HepG2 cell line

Cocos nucifera (coconut) has been extensively studied for its nutraceutical and medicinal properties, but research on the haustorium of C. nucifera is limited. This study aimed to analyze the antioxidative, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties of the C. nucifera haustorium. Antimicrobial studies were conducted using a well diffusion technique, while antioxidative assays included DPPH, ABTS, and H2O2 tests. Anti-inflammatory effects were assessed using the egg albumin denaturation and HRBC assays, and the anticancer activity was evaluated with the MTT assay. Among the tested bacterial strains, the maximum inhibition zones were 13.33 ± 0.58 mm for E. coli and 12.67 ± 0.58 mm for S. aureus at a 100 µg/mL concentration. Regarding antifungal activity, the haustorium extract demonstrated minimal effect against Candida albicans. The antioxidative activity was notable, with DPPH showing 74.74 ± 1.05%, ABTS at 78.45 ± 0.86%, and hydrogen peroxide at 71.64 ± 0.68%, all at a concentration of 50 µg/mL. The anti-inflammatory effects were assessed through the egg albumin denaturation assay, which showed an activity of 72.68 ± 0.87%, and the HRBC assay, which demonstrated 83.93 ± 0.90%. These results were comparable to the standard Diclofenac sodium, which showed 81.33 ± 0.95% inhibition in the egg albumin denaturation assay and 88.3 ± 0.66% in the HRBC assay at 50 µg/mL. Similar trends were observed for anticancer activity against the HepG2 cell line. The treatment caused the cells to shrink and fragment, indicating that the haustorium exhibits significant anticancer properties, leading to apoptosis in human HepG2 cells with an IC50 concentration of 43.91 µg/mL, without affecting normal cells. In conclusion, the results of this study highlight the medicinal properties of the haustorium of C. nucifera, suggesting it as a potential and promising candidate for developing novel drugs in the field of ethnopharmacology.