Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/high-performance liquid chromatography phytochemical profiling and in vitro cytotoxic potential of Operculicarya pachypus Eggli hexane extract: A comparative study with tamoxifen

Tabily, the common name for Operculicarya pachypus Eggli, is a member of the Anacardiaceae family. In addition to possessing strong nutraceutical potential and a variety of phytochemicals, Anacardiaceae plants have a number of bioactivities. The primary goals of this study are to analyse the phytochemicals using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the aerial part hexane extract and to use 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of the hexane extract against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cells and human breast epithelial normal cell lines (MCF10-A) in vitro, compared to a positive control (tamoxifen). Maceration (cold extraction) of O. pachypus aerial parts was performed at room temperature in n-hexane and the resulting extract was subjected to quantitative and qualitative analyses of phytoconstituents. Advanced gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis verified the existence of multiple bioactive compounds, revealing that the hexane extract contains β-sitosterol, along with high levels of α-linolenic acid (23.46 %), methyl cinnamate (17.17 %), humulene (6.37 %) and caryophyllene (4.11 %). High-performance liquid chromatography assay confirmed the existence of sterol and terpenoid compounds and facilitated the quantitative assessment of selected marker compounds. The extract demonstrated significant and selective cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells compared to normal MCF10-A cells, in a time-and concentration- dependent manner. Over time, the half-maximum inhibitory concentration decreased from 404.3 μg/mL to 292.7 μg/mL, and ultimately to 159.2 μg/mL and cytotoxicity increased, with a notable decrease in cell viability and a selectivity index of >2.5. This project offers a detailed investigation into the phytochemicals, extraction and cytotoxic effects of O. pachpus.