Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity of Rhaponticoides Iconiensis Seed Extract

Abstract

The goal of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of aqueous extract from Rhaponticoides iconiensis seed. The Soxhlet extraction method was used to extract the seed in distilled water. It was tested for antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli using the disc diffusion method. Additionally, the cytotoxic activity of the seed extract on the MCF7 breast cancer cell line was evaluated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. R. iconiensis showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli compared to Cefotaxime antimicrobial agents. Additionally, an effective in vitro cytotoxic activity against the MCF7 is observed (p<0.01). The present study is the first report of endemic Rhaponticoides iconiensis seeds exhibiting potential antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity, and it requires further investigation and characterization. These findings may be applied as a guideline for selecting Turkish medicinal plant species for further pharmacological and phytochemical studies. © 2025, Istanbul Medipol University. All rights reserved.