Phytochemical screening and anticancer profiling of Artocarpus altilis (Breadfruit) leaves against colorectal cancer

Artocarpus altilis (A. altilis), a member of Moraceae family is a tropical tree, typically cultivated for its edible fruit. The study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and evaluation of in silico and in vitro anticancer activity of ethanolic extract of A. altilis leaves. LC-MS analysis was conducted to identify the presence of bioactive compounds, whereas a molecular docking study was used to find out the interaction between the phytochemicals and the DNA-metabolising enzyme topoisomerase II. MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity and anticancer efficacy of the extract using HCT-116 cell lines. Through phytochemical analysis, various phytochemicals, which are known for their anticancer properties such as aminopterin, purpurin and oleuropein were identified. The molecular docking analysis revealed that the compounds, aminopterin and purpurin possess greater binding affinity with topoisomerase II, which is crucial for DNA replication and cell division in cancer cells. In MTT assay, the extract at various doses exhibited cytotoxic effects on HCT-116 cancer cell line, with an IC50 value of 153.8±0.58 µg/ml. The study reveals that the phytoconstituents of the ethanolic extract of A. altilis leaves inhibit cancer cell proliferation and their potential for use in colorectal cancer treatment.