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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

GC-MS characterisation and cytotoxic evaluation of n-hexane leaf extract of Euphorbia microsphaera (Boiss.) against human breast cancer cell lines

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13506
Submitted
2 January 2026
Published
08-06-2026 — Updated on 10-08-2026
Versions

Abstract

The flora of Iraq is particularly rich in species of Euphorbia; however, like many other medicinal floras throughout the world, its cytotoxic and therapeutic properties have not been well explored yet. Euphorbia microsphaera (Boiss.) is a representative species that has not been well studied in terms of phytochemical content and antiproliferative incidence in common malignancies, including breast cancer. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic activity and major constituents of n-hexane leaf extract of E. microsphaera on human breast cancer cell line. The n-hexane leaf extract was prepared using Soxhlet extraction. The cytotoxicity of the extract was evaluated through the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cell line with tamoxifen as positive control. Attempts to profile the chemical composition of the extract were performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The IC₅₀ was measured at 516.1 µg/mL, indicating concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of the extract. There was no significant difference in cytotoxicity compared to tamoxifen (p = 0.6843). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that fatty acid esters, terpenoids, phytosterols and hydrocarbons were the primary constituents of the extract. The n-hexane leaf extract of E. microsphaera demonstrated moderate cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cells, suggesting that additional phytochemical studies may be warranted.

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