Phytochemical profiling, antioxidant properties, and anticancer activity of Pourouma cecropiifolia Mart. from the Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract

Some fruits are used as promising anticancer agents due to their antioxidant and antimutagenic properties. This work explores the potential of the fruit of Pourouma cecropiifolia Mart. as a source of compounds with anticancer activity. The research covers: (i) phytochemical profiling of hydroethanolic extracts from the peel, pulp, and seeds of P. cecropiifolia Mart. using liquid ultra-performance chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS); (ii) evaluation of antioxidant and anticancer potential of the extracts against carcinoma cell lines (HeLa, RKO, MCF-7, and T47D); and (iii) in silico docking analyses with human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP 1A1) and CYP 1B1. A total of 18 compounds were tentatively identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS, including flavonoids, phenolic glycosides, lignans, phenolic acids, terpenes, iridoid glycosides, proanthocyanidins, curcuminoids, and naphthodianthrone. Molecular docking simulations identified nortracheloside and epicatechin as potential inhibitors of CYP 1A1 and CYP 1B1, suggesting cytotoxic activity. The antiproliferation assay showed that pulp extracts had moderate activity against human breast ductal cancer cells.

Fig. 1

Mass spectrometry spectrum of trans-resveratrol from the peel extract from P. cecropiifolia Mart.

Fig. 2. Total ion chromatogram of P. cecropiifolia Mart.

a Peel, b pulp, and c seed extracts in negative ion mode.

Fig. 3. Cyclic voltammograms of the O2/O2∙− system in the presence of increasing concentrations of P. cecropiifolia Mart.

Measurements were performed in DMS + Bu₄NPF₆ 0.05 M at a scan rate of 0.1 V s⁻¹, glassy carbon as work electrode. a Peel, b pulp, and c seed.

Fig. 4

Dimensionless parameter ($\left({Ip}_a^0-{Ip}_a^s\right)/{Ip}_a^0$) related to the decrease in ${\mathrm{O}}_2^{\bullet -}$ current vs. the concentration of P. cecropiifolia Mart. extracts.

Fig. 5. Differential pulse voltammograms of P. cecropiifolia Mart. extracts in acetate buffer (pH 4.5) at a scan rate of 17 mV s⁻¹.

a Peel, b pulp, and c seed.

Fig. 6. Root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of the human cytochrome P450 enzymes in complex with nortracheloside and epicatechin during a 200 ns simulation.

a CYP 1A1 and b CYP 1B1.

Fig. 7. RMSD of the ligands in complex with the human cytochrome P450 enzymes during a 200 ns simulation.

a CYP 1A1 and b CYP 1B1.

Fig. 8. Hydrogen bond analysis of human cytochrome P450 1A1 in complex with ligands.

a Nortracheloside and b epicatechin.

Fig. 9. Hydrogen bond analysis of human cytochrome P450 1B1 in complex with ligands.

a Nortracheloside and b epicatechin.