Abstract
Background: for a long time, natural bio-actives have been used to treat, cure, and prevent illnesses. Fruit seed crude extracts have been found to have various beneficial biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumoral potential. Methods: this study investigated quince seed extract made using absolute ethanol as a solvent regarding flavonoid and phenolic content, as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. The extract was obtained using two methods, microwave-facilitated extraction and sequential microwave-ultrasound-assisted extraction. Results: the extract from the microwave-facilitated method had higher flavonoid and phenolic content with superior antioxidant activity. Hydroxyl free radical and DPPH assays' IC50 were 121.04±1.10 and 112.98±1.02, respectively, compared to the sequential method, which had IC50 values of 193.19±0.86 and 187.23±0.95. The microwave method also displayed significantly higher inhibitory activity against inflammatory enzymes and selectivity against COX2 compared to the sequential one. However, the extracts did not exhibit any antiproliferative effect on malignant or healthy cellular lines at the applied concentrations, and they did not enhance the effectiveness of 5-FU (5-Fluorouracil) in preventing the growth of cancerous cells. However, the mutual application in general results in increasing the IC50 value of 5-FU toward the healthy cellular line (MCF-A10). Therefore, the mutual application of these extracts with 5-FU can be seen as a protective measure. Conclusion: the crude extract obtained through the microwave-facilitated method had better TPC, TFC, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity, and protective potential than the sequential method.
