Optimization of polyphenol extraction, phenolic profile by LC-ESI-MS/MS, antioxidant, anti-enzymatic, and cytotoxic activities of Physalis acutifolia

During the current study, the phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured in Physalis acutifolia extracts with Folin–Ciocalteu and AlCl3 methods, respectively. Various antioxidant assays, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, ABTS, reducing power, Fe2+-phenanthroline reduction, and silver nanoparticle assays, were also conducted, along with anti-enzymatic assays. The cytotoxicity of the ethanolic extract was assessed on cancer cell lines (i.e., CAPAN-1 and dld-1) and a healthy cell line (i.e., L929). Optimal parameters for polyphenol extraction were determined: extraction time of 72 h, solvent-to-plant ratio of 10 mL/1 g, and plant concentration of 90%. The n-butanol extract showed the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (i.e., 263.84 mg GAE/g dw and 72.03 QE/g dw, respectively), along with superior antioxidant and anti-enzymatic activities with IC50 values of 49.77 and 187.12 µg/mL with acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase assays, respectively. LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis revealed 12 components, with hesperidin being the most abundant (i.e., 1829.0001 µg/g). The ethanolic extract exhibited cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines, with an IC50 value of 0.959 mg/mL for dld-1, but with no effect on healthy cells. The bioavailability scores of the identified components support the in vitro findings and confirm the different assessed therapeutic effects.