This study investigated the chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of Humiria balsamifera St. (Aubl.) Hill. Extracts obtained with ethyl acetate, methanol, and ethanol were analysed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS molecular networking, and statistical analysis, revealing 18 metabolites in positive mode. Multivariate analyses showed that plant organ and extraction solvent strongly shaped metabolite profiles, identifying bioactive markers with biological relevance. Bergenin was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the stem. The in vitro cytotoxicity screening in human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) demonstrated that the isolated compounds exhibited inhibition greater than 75%, while the crude extracts were less effective. Bergenin, also evaluated in mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDAMB231) and non-tumour cells (RPE-1), did not inhibit the growth of cancer cells but showed low toxicity in healthy cells. The analysis of the identified metabolites suggests the potential of the species as a source of bioactive compounds. The selectivity of the antiproliferative effect of the isolates in HCT-116 and the safety of bergenin in non-tumour cells indicate the need for future investigations to elucidate their mechanisms of action and explore their therapeutic potential, as well as to identify other relevant compounds.
Tanaka et al. (Sat,) studied this question.