Anticancer activity with physical property analysis of Mollugo cerviana (L). Ser whole plant extract on hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2).

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a rapidly advancing malignancy and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Recently, plant-based pharmaceuticals have garnered increased attention compared to synthetic medications due to their non-toxic nature and accessibility. Mollugo cerviana, a prevalent weed in the Mollugnaceae family, is recognised for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The ethanolic extract of the plant was evaluated for its cytotoxic effects on hepatocarcinoma cell lines (HepG2). The vitality of the treated cells was evaluated using the MTT test. The induction of oxidative stress was assessed by quantifying intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the mechanism of cell death was analysed using ethidium bromide/acridine orange (EB/AO) dual staining. Additionally, the DNA damage was assessed via the comet test. To ascertain the probable bioactive chemicals responsible for the observed cytotoxicity, LC-MS analysis of the plant extract was conducted. The primary components found in the plant extract underwent molecular descriptor analysis and statistical correlations were established to evaluate their notable drug-likeness and possible therapeutic significance. The plant extract induces cell death in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by the MTT assay, with HepG2 cell viability decreasing from 98 to 44% at concentrations ranging from 1 to 500 µg/mL. HepG2 cells exposed to 356.03 µg/ml (IC