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Journals / Kommagene Biyoloji Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1

The Preliminary Study on Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Harmal (Peganum harmala L.)

Üzerlik (Peganum harmala L.) Bitkisinin Fitokimyasal Profili, Antioksidan ve Sitotoksik Aktiviteleri Üzerine Ön Çalışma

Ebru Deveci(Konya Technical University)0000-0002-2597-9898
Bahar Yılmaz Altınok(KARAMANOGLU MEHMETBEY UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-6315-3018
Gülsen Tel-çayan(MUĞLA SITKI KOÇMAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ, MUĞLA MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU)0000-0002-1916-7391
Pages
71–79
Publication Date
2025-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings highlight harmal as a valuable reserve in the search for natural antioxidant and cytotoxic (on HeLa cell line) agents, especially with respect to the research focusing on possible pharmaceutical and food additive applications.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Harmal (Peganum harmala L.) is a perennial plant that has come to the fore with its medicinal use since ancient times.
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Key Findings & Data:Additionally, antioxidant and cytotoxic (HT-29 (human colon cancer line), HeLa (human cervical cancer line), and HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney 293)) activities were investigated.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings highlight harmal as a valuable reserve in the search for natural antioxidant and cytotoxic (on HeLa cell line) agents, especially with respect to the research focusing on possible pharmaceutical and food additive applications.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Bitki · HT-29 hücre hattı · Metanol ekstresi

Abstract

Harmal (Peganum harmala L.) is a perennial plant that has come to the fore with its medicinal use since ancient times. In this study, the phytochemical profile of the methanol extract of harmal was characterized by HPLC and total phenolic and flavonoid amounts were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Additionally, antioxidant and cytotoxic (HT-29 (human colon cancer line), HeLa (human cervical cancer line), and HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney 293)) activities were investigated. Among 20 different phytochemical compounds screened, the presence of catechin (2.65±0.01 mg/g), coumarin (0.96±0.01 mg/g), ascorbic acid (0.91±0.02 mg/g), protocatechuic acid (0.85±0.01 mg/g), gallic acid (0.60±0.01 mg/g), hesperidin (0.24±0.01 mg/g), ferulic acid (0.06±0.01 mg/g), rutin (0.04±0.01 mg/g), and trans-cinnamic acid (0.03±0.01 mg/g) were detected. Total phenolic amount was found as 63.80±0.13 µg GAE/mg extract and total flavonoid amount was found as 13.50±0.36 µg QE/mg extract. Harmal methanol extract showed varying degrees of antioxidant activity in ABTS•+ (IC50: 353.67±1.10 µg/mL), DPPH• (17.54±0.45%), CUPRAC (absorbance: 0.41±0.02), phosphomolybdenum (A0.50: 99.11±0.02 µg/mL), and metal chelating (38.47±0.77%) assays. Harmal methanol extract was low cytotoxic active on HT-29 cell line (> 800 µg/mL) and near-positive control cytotoxic active on HeLa cell line (IC50: 45.84±0.95 μg/mL). These findings highlight harmal as a valuable reserve in the search for natural antioxidant and cytotoxic (on HeLa cell line) agents, especially with respect to the research focusing on possible pharmaceutical and food additive applications.

Özet

Üzerlik (Peganum harmala L.), antik çağlardan beri tıbbi kullanımı ile ön plana çıkan çok yıllık bir bitkidir. Bu çalışmada, üzerliğin metanol ekstresinin fitokimyasal profili HPLC ile karakterize edildi ve toplam fenolik ve flavonoid miktarları spektrofotometrik yöntemlerle belirlendi. Ayrıca, üzerliğin antioksidan ve sitotoksik (HT-29 (insan kolon kanseri hattı), HeLa (insan servikal kanser hattı) ve HEK-293 (insan embriyonik böbrek 293)) aktiviteleri araştırıldı. Taranan 20 farklı fitokimyasal bileşik arasında kateşin (2,65±0,01 mg/g), kumarin (0,96±0,01 mg/g), askorbik asit (0,91±0,02 mg/g), protokateşik asit (0,85±0,01 mg/g), gallik asit (0,60±0,01 mg/g), hesperidin (0,24±0,01 mg/g), ferulik asit (0,06±0,01 mg/g), rutin (0,04±0,01 mg/g) ve trans-sinnamik asit (0,03±0,01 mg/g) varlığı belirlendi. Toplam fenolik madde miktarı 63,80±0,13 µg GAE/mg ekstre ve toplam flavonoid miktarı 13,50±0,36 µg QE/mg ekstre olarak bulundu. Üzerlik metanol ekstresi, ABTS•+ (IC50: 353,67±1,10 µg/mL), DPPH• (%17,54±0,45), CUPRAC (absorbans: 0,41±0,02), fosfomolibden (A0,50: 99,11±0,02 µg/mL) ve metal kelatlama (%38,47±0,77) yöntemlerinde değişen derecelerde antioksidan aktivite gösterdi. Üzerlik metanol ekstresi HT-29 hücre hattında (> 800 µg/mL) düşük sitotoksik aktiviteye sahipken, HeLa hücre hattında (IC50: 45,84±0,95 μg/mL) pozitif kontrole yakın sitotoksik aktivite gösterdi. Bu bulgular, üzerliğin özellikle olası ilaç ve gıda katkı maddesi uygulamalarına odaklanan araştırmalar açısından doğal antioksidan ve sitotoksik (HeLa hücre hattına karşı) ajanların arayışında değerli bir rezerv olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Deveci, E., Altınok, B. Y., Tel-çayan, G. (2025). The Preliminary Study on Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Harmal (Peganum harmala L.). Kommagene Biyoloji Dergisi, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 71–79. https://doi.org/10.31594/commagene.1607811

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