JOURNAL OF CHILEAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Vol 71 No 2 (2026): Journal of The Chilean Chemical Society - 2nd Special Issue in Tribute to Professor Mario Silva (In Memoriam)
Original Research Papers

EXPLORING ALIEN PLANTS AS A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE MOLECULES

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  • ANTONIO TIEZZI,
  • VALENTINA LAGHEZZA,
  • DANIELE ZAGO,
  • MATTEO AMURA,
  • STEFANIA GARZOLI,
  • ELISA OVIDI
Published September 21, 2026
Keywords
  • Alien Plants,
  • Ailanthus altissima,
  • Albizia julibrissin
How to Cite
TIEZZI, A., LAGHEZZA, V., ZAGO, D., AMURA, M., GARZOLI, S., & OVIDI, E. (2026). EXPLORING ALIEN PLANTS AS A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE MOLECULES. Journal of the Chilean Chemical Society, 71(2), 6529-6535. Retrieved from https://jcchems.com/index.php/JCCHEMS/article/view/3119

Copyright (c) 2026 SChQ

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study investigates the biological activity of leaf extracts obtained from two allochthonous plant species, Ailanthus altissima and Albizia julibrissin, selected for their invasiveness, for their use in traditional medicine and their distinctive biological interaction with the surroundings.

Experimental methodology included preparation of extracts by Soxhlet extraction, followed by biological analysis to assess antibacterial, cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities on cancer cell line and evaluation of antioxidant properties. Specifically, the potential antibacterial activity was evaluated determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). Cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects were examined using the MTT assay on the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and the non-tumorigenic epithelial cell line MCF-10A. DPPH and ABTS assays were used to evaluate antioxidant activity in vitro, while intracellular ROS were quantified in SH-SY5Y cells to determine antioxidant capacity at the cellular level. Finally, total polyphenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and CG-MS analysis was performed to chemically characterize the extracts found to be the most active.

The results indicate that acetone extract of A. altissima exhibits bacteriotoxic activity on Bacillus cereus and antiproliferative as well as significant cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on MDA-MB-231. In addition, acetone extract of A. altissima and A. julibrissin showed marked antioxidant activity in vitro and a cellular protection against oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells.

Overall, these findings highlight the potential of these plant extracts as sources of bioactive compounds for the development of therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress-related disorders.

 

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