Biodiversity Meets Biomedicine: Phytochemical and Anticancer Properties of the Cypriot Endemic Teucrium divaricatum subsp. canescens

Background Teucrium divaricatum subsp. canescens , an endemic plant of Cyprus, has been employed in folk medicine for wound healing and digestive ailments. Despite the documented anticancer properties of other Teucrium species, no studies have examined this endemic subspecies’ biological activities or chemical profile. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical profile and anticancer activities of T. divaricatum subsp. canescens using cytotoxicity, ROS scavenging, and wound-healing assays. Method Plant were extracted with 70% methanol (TM) and sub-fractionated into hexane (TM-H), ethyl acetate (TM-E), butanol (TM-B), and water (TM-W). Chemical composition was analyzed with LC-MS/MS. Cytotoxicity, intracellular ROS scavenging, and motility inhibition assays were carried out on the SK-HEP-1 liver adenocarcinoma cell line. IC 50 values were calculated from MTT and DCFH-DA assays, and wound healing activity was evaluated for TM-E and TM-B fractions. Results Luteolin, cirsimaritin, cirsiliol and forsythoside B are dominant bioactive compounds. Although the crude TM exhibited relatively weak cytotoxicity (IC 50 = 628.5 µg/mL), fractionation markedly enhanced this effect. Among the subfractions, the TM-E showed the strongest cytotoxicity (IC 50 = 47.75 µg/mL), followed by the TM-H (IC 50 = 82.27 µg/mL) and the TM-B (IC 50 = 139.4 µg/mL). TM-E and TM-B fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activity, effectively reducing both basal ROS levels (IC 50 = 118.8 µg/mL and 17.28 µg/mL, respectively) and induced oxidative stress. Under induced conditions, ROS levels were also markedly decreased. Furthermore, both fractions inhibited cell motility, with TM-E being more potent. The cytotoxicity and anti-motility effects were consistent with flavonoid content and potential pro-oxidant behavior of luteolin derivatives. Conclusion Extracts exhibit significant cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-motility activities against SK-HEP-1 cells, attributed to its high flavonoid content. These findings highlight its potential to be a candidate for further studies as discovering novel anticancer agents. Further studies on molecular mechanisms and active compounds are warranted to validate its therapeutic applications.