Background: Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) seeds have long been used in
traditional medicine as a remedy for numerous conditions due to a range of bioactive compounds. This study investigated the
solvent extraction of compounds that could be responsible for
antioxidant activity and anticancer potential. Methods: Defatted Gac seed kernel
powder was extracted with different
solvents: 100% water, 50%
methanol:water, 70%
ethanol:water, water saturated
butanol, 100%
methanol, and 100%
ethanol.
Trypsin inhibitors,
saponins, phenolics, and
antioxidant activity using the
2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium
salt (
ABTS), the
2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the ferric reducing
antioxidant power (FRAP) assays; and anticancer potential against two
melanoma cancer cell lines (MM418C1 and D24) were analysed to determine the best extraction
solvents. Results: Water was best for extracting
trypsin inhibitors (581.4 ± 18.5 mg
trypsin/mg) and reducing the viability of MM418C1 and D24
melanoma cells (75.5 ± 1.3 and 66.9 ± 2.2%, respectively); the anticancer potential against the MM418C1 cells was highly correlated with
trypsin inhibitors (r = 0.92, p < 0.05), but there was no correlation between anticancer potential and
antioxidant activity. The water saturated
butanol had the highest
saponins (71.8 ± 4.31 mg
aescin equivalents/g), phenolic compounds (20.4 ± 0.86 mg
gallic acid equivalents/g), and
antioxidant activity, but these measures were not related to anticancer potential. Conclusions: Water yielded a Gac seed extract, rich in
trypsin inhibitors, which had high anticancer potential against two
melanoma cell lines.