Phytochemical characterization and anticancer efficacy assessment of Hormophysa cuneiformis extract on A549 lung cancer cells

The present study focused on the phytochemical composition of the brown seaweed Hormophysa cuneiformis and its anticancer activity in A549 lung cancer cells. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts were prepared and analyzed for proximate analysis and phytochemical screening, followed by evaluation of their antiproliferative effects on A549 cells using the MTT assay. The results indicated that Hormophysa cuneiformis extract had a highly significant ash content of 23.4 ± 2.4% and various bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. The ethanolic extract demonstrated better antiproliferative activity than the aqueous extract, with an IC50 value of 78.475 ± 1.723 μg/mL. Treatment with 200 μg/mL ethanolic extract inhibited cancer cell growth by > 50%. These changes include shrinkage and a reduction in the cell population. The ethanolic extract showed 90.46% DPPH radical scavenging activity at 50 mg/mL, and an H2O2 scavenging effect of 86.7% at the same concentration. These results support the potential anticancer and antioxidant activities of H. cuneiformis and support further studies to explore therapeutic possibilities against lung cancer.