Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antioxidant and Anticancer Evaluation of Stem and Leaf Extracts of Cissampelos pareira L.

This study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant capacity, and anticancer potential of aqueous, ethanolic, and hexane extracts derived from the leaves and stems of Cissampelos pareira L. (C. pareira L.). Proximate analysis revealed that the stems contained a high fiber content (48.02% ± 0.14%) and carbohydrate content (32.31% ± 0.47%), whereas the leaves exhibited a higher carbohydrate content (53.93% ± 0.02%). Ethanolic extracts of both stems and leaves showed notably high levels of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Specifically, the total phenolic content (TPC) was 58.26 ± 2.56 mg GAE/g dry weight (DW) in the stem extract (CPSE) and 95.73 ± 1.76 mg GAE/g DW in the leaf extract (CPLE). The total flavonoid content (TFC) was 27.23 ± 2.89 mg CE/g DW in CPSE and 82.68 ± 4.98 mg CE/g DW in CPLE. Furthermore, the ethanol extract from C. pareira L. leaves exhibited the strongest free radical scavenging activity, with IC50 values of 55.00 ± 1.93 µg/mL and 25.77 ± 0.38 µg/mL against DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively. In terms of anticancer activity, the hexane extract from the stem (CPSH) showed the highest inhibitory effects on the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), as well as HEK293T cells. Interestingly, the proliferation of normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells was more effectively inhibited by CPLE. These findings indicate that the ethanol extract of C. pareira L. leaves possesses strong antioxidant properties, while the hexane extract of the stem demonstrates potent anticancer activity. Therefore, both leaf and stem extracts of C. pareira L. hold promise for development as functional foods or dietary supplements due to their diverse and significant biological activities.