Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry‐Based Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivities of <i>Lilium polyphyllum</i> Bulb Extracts: Insights Into Anticancer and Antidiabetic Potential

Lilium polyphyllum D. Don ex Royle (Liliaceae) bulbs are traditionally used to treat various ailments; however, their phytochemical composition and bioactivities remain rarely explored. This study aims to investigate the phytochemical composition, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antioxidant activities of L. polyphyllum bulb extract and fractions to validate its traditional use and explore new therapeutic applications. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was used for phytochemical characterization, while in silico toxicity predictions of the major compounds were carried out using online tools Swiss ADME and ProTox-3.0. Anticancer activity was performed through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, whereas antidiabetic potential was examined via α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzyme inhibition assays. Antioxidant capacity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging methods. Phytochemical analysis of hydromethanolic extract (Cr. MeOH-Ext) and hexane fraction (n-Hex-fr) identified 37 compounds, including methyl esters of eicosanoic, hexadecanoic, linoleic, and linolenic acid. In silico studies predicted drug-like and non-toxic properties of the major identified compounds. In the MTT assay, the chloroform fraction (Chl-fr) (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] = 2.85 ± 0.16 µM) and n-Hex-fr (IC₅₀ = 6.41 ± 0.20 µM) demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against HL-60 leukemia cells, comparable to venetoclax (IC₅₀ = 6.26 ± 0.41 µM). Flow cytometry analysis showed that the cytotoxic effect was probably due to apoptosis. In α-glucosidase inhibition, the Cr. MeOH-Ext (86.18%) and aqueous fraction (Aq-fr) (84.09%) showed good activity, with IC₅₀ values of 203.30 and 143.00 µg/mL, respectively. In α-amylase inhibition, the Aq-fr (79.56%) and Cr. MeOH-Ext (77.77%) was found most active. Likewise, the Aq-fr and Cr. MeOH-Ext exhibited good radical scavenging effects. Our findings indicate that L. polyphyllum bulbs possess promising anticancer and antidiabetic properties due to their distinct phytochemical composition.