In vitro antioxidant, cytotoxic, apoptotic, and anti-migratory effects of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Paronychia kurdica on pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies due to rapid metastasis and treatment resistance, with high post-diagnosis metastasis risk and low five-year survival rates. This study investigated the phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and biological effects of Paronychia kurdica extracts on pancreatic cancer cells. The methanolic (MeOH) extract exhibited higher total phenolic (26.39 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (21.52 mg QE/g) contents than the aqueous extract and demonstrated moderate antioxidant effect according to DPPH and FRAP assays. LC–MS analysis identified chlorogenic acid, rutin, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid in both extracts, with higher rutin levels in the MeOH extract. Both extracts showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity on MIA PaCa-2 cells (IC₅₀: MeOH 411.4 µg/mL, aqueous 385.5 µg/mL). Scratch assays indicated that the MeOH extract inhibited cell migration by 50.56–70.14%. Apoptotic mechanisms were confirmed by qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses, with increased Bax and decreased Bcl-2 expression, particularly in MeOH extract-treated cells. Immunofluorescence revealed apoptotic morphological changes. These findings suggest that P. kurdica extracts possess antioxidant properties along with moderate cytotoxic and anti-migratory effects in pancreatic cancer cells, supporting their potential as a source of bioactive compounds for further pharmacological investigation