ABSTRACT Berberis vulgaris is a medicinal plant widely recognized for its diverse pharmacological properties, including anticancer potential. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects of ethanolic leaf extract of B. vulgaris (E‐BVL) on THP‐1 human monocytic leukemia cells. Chemical profiling using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed octatriacontyl pentafluoropropionate (59.18%) as the major constituent. Although both leaf and branch extracts were chemically analyzed, subsequent cell‐based assays were performed exclusively with the leaf extract due to its higher content of major bioactive constituents and more reproducible composition. The WST‐8 assay demonstrated a clear, dose‐dependent reduction in cell viability, with an IC 50 value of 194.8 µg/mL. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) analysis showed that E‐BVL significantly upregulated pro‐apoptotic genes (BAX and CASP3), while downregulating anti‐apoptotic (BCL‐XL), cell cycle‐related (CDK6), and immune‐regulatory (CD33 and CD86) genes. These results suggest that E‐BVL may influence apoptotic and proliferative pathways in THP‐1 leukemia cells. Overall, this study highlights B. vulgaris leaf extract as a promising natural source of bioactive compounds for anti‐leukemic research, without specifically implicating berberine, which was not detected in the extract.
Öztanrikulu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.