Phenolic contents, chemical profiling, in silico and in vitro anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties of Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl

Abstract Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl has been used as a remedy for inflammation-related disorders in the folk medicinal system by the inhabitants of the northern areas of Pakistan. This study deals with the phytochemical composition, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory activity of various extracts of A. nitida. The phytochemical composition was established by measuring total phenolic contents through spectrophotometrically and chemical profiling was done by GC–MS analysis. Cytotoxicity was tested against four cancer cell lines (SK-MEL-28, KB, BT-549, and SK-OV-3) and two noncancerous kidney cell lines (LLC-PK1 and Vero). The hexanes extract showed promising activity against SK-MEL-28, BT-549, SK-OV-3 and LLC-PK1 cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 13–78 μg/mL and hydro-methanol extract inhibited the growth of KB, BT-549, and SK-OV-3 with IC50 values ranging from 25–42 μg/mL. The hydro-methanol, hexanes, and chloroform extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting iNOS in LPS-induced macrophages with IC50 values of 69, 60, and 88 µg/mL, respectively. Besides, palmitic acid and parthenolide were theoretically docked against iNOS synthase. Parthenolide showed higher inhibition affinity (- 6.16 kcal/mol, Ki = 30.63 µM) in comparison to the control ligand (- 5.28 kcal/mol, Ki = 135.78 µM). This study showed that the A. nitida extracts possess anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities, indicating A. nitida as a potential candidate for the discovery of novel phytopharmaceutical products and industrial applications.