Total Phenolic Content, RSM-Based Optimization of Antioxidant Activity, and in vitro Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Effects of Hydroethanolic Extract from Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) Flowers

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the total phenolic content of a hydroethanolic extract obtained from feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) flowers collected in Elazığ, Türkiye, to optimize its antioxidant potential using response surface methodology (RSM), and to evaluate its in vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic effects. The hydroethanolic extract was prepared using a 1:1 (v/v) ethanol–water mixture at a plant-to-solvent ratio of 1:20 (g/mL) and extracted at 60 °C for 10 h. Antioxidant capacity was assessed using DPPH and CUPRAC assays, and the resulting data were used for statistical optimization. Cytotoxic effects were evaluated by the MTT assay in U2OS (ATCC HTB-96), A549 (ATCC CCL-185), and HUVEC (ATCC CRL-1730) cell lines following exposure to different concentrations of the extract and cisplatin for various incubation periods. The total phenolic content of the extract was 76.152 ± 4.5 mg GAE/g DW. Although the extract did not exhibit antibacterial activity, it induced dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effects in A549, U2OS, and HUVEC cell lines. Overall, the findings contribute to the current knowledge of feverfew flower extracts and highlight the need for further studies to identify active compounds and clarify their underlying mechanisms.