Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anticholinesterase, and Antiproliferative Activities of Sparganium erectum Extracts

In the present study, the antioxidant capacity, cholinesterase-inhibitory activity, and antiproliferative effects of Sparganium erectum extracts were investigated. Antioxidant analyses showed that the ethanol extract had a total antioxidant status (TAS) of 2.925±0.023 mmol/L, a total oxidant status (TOS) of 10.116±0.042 µmol/L, and an oxidative stress index (OSI) of 0.346±0.003. For the methanol extract, these values were recorded as 2.491±0.039 mmol/L, 12.889±0.056 µmol/L, and 0.517±0.006, respectively. The cholinesterase inhibition assays revealed that the ethanol extract inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC₅₀ values of 79.33±3.36 µg/mL and 148.56±3.86 µg/mL, respectively. The corresponding IC₅₀ values for the methanol extract were 93.70±2.32 µg/mL for AChE and 181.03±1.86 µg/mL for BChE. Galantamine, used as the reference inhibitor, exhibited IC₅₀ values of 7.65±0.35 µg/mL against AChE and 17.89±0.22 µg/mL against BChE. In the antiproliferative assay, both extracts decreased the viability of A549 lung cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. At the highest tested concentration, the ethanol extract produced a greater reduction in optical density than the methanol extract. These findings indicate that the ethanol extract exhibited stronger antioxidant, cholinesterase-inhibitory, and antiproliferative activities than the methanol extract. Overall, S. erectum extracts exhibited measurable antioxidant, cholinesterase-inhibitory, and antiproliferative activities, supporting further investigation of their bioactive constituents.