Determination of Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential of Chrysin Extracted from Local Propolis
Background: Chrysin is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in propolis and is well known for its diverse pharmacological properties, particularly its antioxidant and potential anticancer activities. This study investigated the extraction of propolis using different solvents and assessed the biological activities of the obtained extracts as well as the isolated chrysin. Methods: Propolis samples obtained that were extracted using ethanol, methanol, and chloroform. The extraction efficiency of each solvent was compared, and the chrysin content of the resulting extracts was quantified. In addition, the in vitro biological activities of the ethanolic propolis extract, purified chrysin, and isolated chrysin were evaluated by determining their cytotoxic effects against HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, together with their antioxidant capacities. Results: Among the tested solvents, ethanol showed the highest extraction efficiency, followed by methanol, whereas chloroform produced the lowest extraction yield. Consequently, the ethanolic extract contained the greatest concentration of chrysin (3.764 ± 0.14 mg/g), confirming its superior extraction capability. All tested samples exhibited concentration-dependent inhibitory effects against both HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, with standard chrysin producing the strongest cytotoxic activity. Likewise, antioxidant activity increased with increasing concentration for all tested materials, while standard chrysin demonstrated the highest antioxidant effect (49.32% ± 9.90). Significant differences were observed among the tested groups. Conclusion: The findings indicate that ethanol is the most effective solvent for extracting chrysin-rich propolis. Moreover, both the ethanolic propolis extract and the isolated chrysin exhibited remarkable in vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities, supporting their potential as promising natural therapeutic agents.