Analytical evaluation of C. pictus for its therapeutic properties and antioxidant activity in relation to anticancer potential against selected cancer cell lines

Medicinal plants play an important role in medical care throughout history, including the modern period. Costus pictus, also known as the 'insulin plant,' exhibits numerous bioactivities, including anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties. In the present investigation, C. pictus leaves were extracted using ethanol and petroleum ether, and GC-MS analysis revealed 26 and 24 chemical components, respectively. These compounds are used significantly in pharmacology. The antioxidant capabilities of medicinal plants have been studied since they may be in possession of a number of bioactive molecules. It has been demonstrated that antioxidants revert the development of cancer through micromanagement of tumours, and medicinal plants are a rich source of new and powerful antioxidants and anticancer bioactive molecules. In the present study, the anticancer potential of C. pictus leaf extracts in water, ethanol, and petroleum ether against MCF-7 cancer cell lines was evaluated. The MCF-7 cell line was inhibited by all three extracts in a dose-dependent manner.