Phytochemical profiling and selective cytotoxic activity of the hexane fraction of Stellaria media (L.) Vill. against human prostate cancer cells

Stellaria media (L.) Vill. is a medicinal plant traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes such as treatment of skin disorders, inflammatory conditions, digestive ailments and minor wounds; however, its anticancer potential against prostate cancer (PCa) has not been adequately investigated. This study aimed to characterise the phytochemical composition of the n-hexane fraction (F1) obtained from the whole plant of S. media and to evaluate its selective cytotoxic activity against human PCa cells. The n-hexane fraction (F1) was obtained by cold maceration of the dried whole plant and subjected to phytochemical profiling using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against the human PCa cell line PC3 at different concentrations and incubation periods (24, 48 and 72 hr), while human dermal fibroblast cells (HdFn) were used to assess selectivity. The IC₅₀ values were calculated accordingly. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of various non-polar phytochemical constituents, such as n-hexadecanoic acid, octacosanol and lanosterol. The n-hexane fraction exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against PC3 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with a progressive decrease in IC₅₀ values over time. In contrast, higher IC₅₀ values were observed in HdFn cells, indicating selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. Morphological observations further supported cytotoxic and apoptosis-related changes in treated PC3 cells. The n-hexane fraction of S. media demonstrated selective cytotoxic activity against human PCa cells, which may be attributed to identified non-polar phytochemical constituents. These findings suggest that S. media represents a promising source of plant-derived compounds for further anticancer investigations.