Investigation of Anticancer and Anti-Migration Potentials of Verbascum tenue Murb. and Analysis of its Bioactive Compounds using LC–ESI–MS/MS

Abstract

Verbascum species (Scrophulariaceae) are recognized in ethnopharmacology for their diverse therapeutic properties. To investigate these claims scientifically, this study characterized a methanol extract of Verbascum tenue Murb., leaves (VTE) for its phytochemical composition, in vitro cytotoxicity, and anti-migratory activity. Phytochemical profiling via LC-ESI-MS/MS identified nine compounds, with vanillic acid, vanillin, and trans-ferulic acid as the major constituents. The cytotoxic effects of VTE were evaluated on a panel of cell lines—including SKOV-3 (ovarian adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (breast carcinoma), U87 (glioblastoma), and HDF (human dermal fibroblast) cells—using the MTT assay across a concentration range of 15.625–500 µg/mL. VTE exhibited differential cytotoxicity, with IC₅₀ values of 236.74 µg/mL in SKOV-3 cells, 374.5 µg/mL in MCF-7 cells, and 386.68 µg/mL in HDF cells. The wound healing assay was conducted with 125 µg/mL VTE, a concentration selected for its high toxicity on SKOV-3 (viability 59.21%) and low toxicity on HDF (viability 91.06%). VTE significantly suppressed wound closure to 25.86% relative to the 40.36% observed in controls over 12 hours. This inhibition of cell migration, in conjunction with its cytotoxic profile, supports the potential of VTE as an agent with both anticancer and anti-metastatic properties.