Page 152 - EJMO-9-1

Eurasian Journal of Medicine
and Oncology

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Anticancer potential of flavonoids isolated from

Pistacia chinensis against glioblastoma (U87) cell
line: Extensive in vitro and in silico research

1†
Abdur Rauf * , Soonmin Ho 2 , Muhammad Umer Khan 3 , Iqra Khurram 3 ,
Zuneera Akram 4 , Yahya S. Al-Awthan 5,6 , Omar S. Bahattab 5 , and
Marcello Iriti 7,8† *

1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Swabi, Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
Pakistan
2 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
3 Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Lahore,
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
4 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baqai Medical University,
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
† These authors contributed equally
to this work. 5 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
6 Biodiversity Genomics Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding authors:
Abdur Rauf 7 Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
(abdurrauf@uoswabi.edu.pk) 8 National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology, Firenze, Italy
Marcello Iriti
(marcello.iriti@unimi.it)
Citation: Rauf A, Ho S, Khan MU,
et al. Anticancer potential of
flavonoids isolated from Pistacia Abstract
chinensis against glioblastoma
(U87) cell line: Extensive in vitro Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) poses significant challenges due to its aggressiveness
and in silico research. Eurasian J and resistance to standard therapies, necessitating novel treatments. This study
Med Oncol. 2025;9(1):144-158.
doi: 10.36922/ejmo.5768 evaluates the anticancer potential of flavonoids isolated from Pistacia chinensis
against the glioblastoma U87 cell line. Two flavonoids, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-
Received: November 5, 2024
5,7-dihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one (Compound 1) and 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-
1st revised: December 19, 2024 7,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one (Compound 2), were isolated using
2nd revised: January 1, 2025 column chromatography and analyzed through in silico techniques, including
molecular docking, density functional theory (DFT), and pharmacokinetic profiling.
Accepted: January 7, 2025
In vitro studies revealed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity, with Compound 1
Published online: January 23, demonstrating higher activity, reducing U87 cell viability by up to 70.11% after 48 h
2025 at 75 µg/mL. Molecular docking demonstrated its strong binding affinity to mTOR
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). (−10.391 kcal/mol), while DFT confirmed its structural stability. Both compounds
This is an Open Access article displayed favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution (ADMET) profiles, supporting their potential as therapeutic candidates. These
License, permitting distribution, findings underscore the significant anti-GBM activity of flavonoids, particularly
and reproduction in any medium, Compound 1, warranting further in vivo studies to explore their clinical potential as
provided the original work is
properly cited. effective GBM treatments.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Keywords: Pistacia chinensis; Flavonoids; Cancer; In silico; Molecular docking; Density
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional functional theory; ADMET
affiliations.

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2025) 144 doi: 10.36922/ejmo.5768