Anticancer potential of Simarouba glauca leaf extract against oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: Plant-derived bioactive compounds are increasingly explored for anticancer drug development. Simarouba glauca (Paradise tree) has been traditionally recognized for its medicinal properties. This study aimed to extract and characterize fatty acid constituents of S. glauca leaves and evaluate their in vitro anticancer activity and underlying mechanisms against carcinoma cell lines. Methods: Leaves of S. glauca were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using single and sequential extraction protocols with solvents of increasing polarity, including hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The residual plant material was further macerated with distilled water. Extract yields were quantified and phytochemical profiling was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Identified bioactive compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against liver, colorectal, and breast carcinoma cell lines, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were calculated. Results: Among single extracts, chloroform and ethanol fractions demonstrated the highest yields (13% and 14%, respectively), while sequential ethanol extract and macerated water extract yielded 3.2% and 9%, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed palmitic acid and oleic acid as predominant phytoconstituents. These compounds exhibited significant anticancer activity, with IC50 values of 458.5 µM, 262.6 µM, and >500 µM across tested carcinoma cell lines, indicating dose-dependent antiproliferative effects. Conclusions: The findings suggest that Simarouba glauca leaf extracts, particularly palmitic and oleic acid-rich fractions, possess promising anticancer potential and may serve as candidates for further preclinical development of plant-based anticancer therapeutics.