{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T22:17:00Z","timestamp":1787696220910,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,9]],"date-time":"2023-04-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1680998400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (Telethon Cyprus), Nicosia, Cyprus","award":["HFRI-FM17C3-2007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HFRI-FM17C3-2007"]}]},{"name":"Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.)","award":["HFRI-FM17C3-2007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HFRI-FM17C3-2007"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Malignant melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer characterised by high metastatic capacity and mortality rate. On the other hand, Epilobium parviflorum is known for its medicinal properties, including its anticancer potency. In this context, we aimed to (i) isolate various extracts of E. parviflorum, (ii) characterize their phytochemical content, and (iii) determine their cytotoxic potential in an in vitro model of human malignant melanoma. To these ends, we utilized various spectrophotometric and chromatographic (UPLC-MS\/MS) approaches to document the higher content of the methanolic extract in polyphenols, soluble sugars, proteins, condensed tannins, and chlorophylls -a and -b as opposed to those of dichloromethane and petroleum. In addition, the cytotoxicity profiling of all extracts was assessed through a colorimetric-based Alamar Blue assay in human malignant melanoma (A375 and COLO-679) as well as non-tumorigenic immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. Overall, the methanolic extract was shown to exert significant cytotoxicity, in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, as opposed to the other extracts. The observed cytotoxicity was confined only to human malignant melanoma cells, whereas non-tumorigenic keratinocyte cells remained relatively unaffected. Finally, the expression levels of various apoptotic genes were assessed by qRT-PCR, indicating the activation of both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic cascades.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants12081590","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,10]],"date-time":"2023-04-10T03:15:57Z","timestamp":1681096557000},"page":"1590","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Chemical Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Epilobium parviflorum Extracts in an In Vitro Model of Human Malignant Melanoma"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6195-6570","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sotiris","family":"Kyriakou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6568-7489","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Venetia","family":"Tragkola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ioannis","family":"Paraskevaidis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4812-4048","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihalis","family":"Plioukas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life & Health Sciences, School of Sciences & Engineering, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 2417, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4066-9780","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dimitrios T.","family":"Trafalis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3241-8615","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rodrigo","family":"Franco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Redox Biology Centre, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA"},{"name":"School of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0913-4315","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aglaia","family":"Pappa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1450-3552","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihalis I.","family":"Panayiotidis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113207","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2020.113207","article-title":"In vivo bioactivity assessment on Epilobium species: A particular focus on Epilobium angustifolium and its components on enzymes connected with the healing process","volume":"262","author":"Karakaya","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. 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