ANTIOXIDANT, ANTICANCER ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FOENICULUM VULGARE MILL. METHANOLIC EXTRACT

This current study investigated the antioxidant, anticancer, and chemical profiles of methanolic extract of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. aerial parts. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that F. vulgare extract contained 107.84 mg GAE/g and 78.18 CE/g total phenolics and flavonoids respectively. The extract of F. vulgare was derivatized with trimethylsilyl (-TMS) for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and chemical composition was evaluated. Forty-three compounds were identified in the methanol extract (72.4%). The major compounds of the extract were D-Mannitol, 6TMS derivative (7.7%), and Sucrose, 8TMS derivative (7.1%). Carbohydrate derivatives (43.8%) were the dominant group of the extract. The methanol extract demonstrated potent antioxidants; DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS with a 28.7, 69.63 and 81.83 mg TE/g, respectively. The methanol extract demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity against C6 glioma cells, showing significant viability reduction at 400 µg/mL with an IC50 of 128.42 µg/mL, while exhibiting minimal toxicity toward L929 normal fibroblasts. This selective anticancer activity aligns with bioactive flavonoids and carbohydrate derivatives, potentially enhancing drug solubility and targeting efficacy. The results position F. vulgare as a promising source of selective anticancer agents, particularly for gliomas, with its unique carbohydrate profile warranting further mechanistic and preclinical exploration.