Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the primary causes of cancer-related mortality. In
this study, we evaluated the anticancer activity of five chromatographic fractions
derived from the methanol extract of Crinum jagus bulbs against the HepG2
hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-
diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The IC50 value was used as a measure of
anticancer activity. The most active fraction was analyzed using GCMS and LCMS.
The binding energies of the identified compounds with Caspase-3, Caspase-9, and
EGFR were evaluated and compared to those of the standard drug, Sorafenib. The
compounds' drug-likeness was assessed by applying Lipinski's rule of five. The most
potent fraction exhibited an IC50 value of 37 μg/ml. Nineteen (19) compounds,
primarily fatty acids, fatty acid esters, and flavonoids, were identified from the
fraction by GCMS and LCMS analysis. Of the nineteen (19) compounds identified in
the most active fraction, linoelaidic acid (-8.23 kcal mol-1), hexadecanoic acid (-7.96
kcal mol-1) and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (-7.78 kcal mol-1) had a better binding
affinity for Caspase-3 than Sorafenib; hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (-8.10 kcal mol-
1) and pentyl linoleate (-8.00 kcal mol-1) had comparable binding energy with
Sorafenib (-8.47 kcal mol-1) against Caspase-9. In contrast, hexadecanoic acid (-8.29
kcal mol-1), linoelaidic acid (-8.58 kcal mol-1), and pentyl linoleate (-8.66 kcal mol-1)
had better binding energy than Sorafenib (-8.24 kcal mol-1) against EGFR. These
compounds passed Lipinski’s test for drug-likeness. The study's findings lend
credence to the plant's traditional use as a cancer remedy.
Keywords: Crinum jagus, LCMS, GCMS, HepG2, molecular docking