Toxicity and antiproliferative activity assessment of a novel compound Zr I isolated from Zingiber roseum Rosc.

Secondary metabolites from the Zingiberaceae family are enormously active compounds used especially in traditional medicine practices and can be effective drugs in cancer treatment. 8-Isopropyl-5,11-dimethyl-dodecane-4,5-diol (Zr I) was isolated from chloroform extract of Zingiber roseum rhizome and analyzed for anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The structure was elucidated based on advanced IR, GC MS, and 2D NMR spectral data. The anti-proliferative activity of Zr I was assessed in the MCF-7 cell line. Brine shrimp lethality assay, Sister chromatid exchange assay, and LAZAR toxicity prediction methods estimated the compound's toxicity. In this study, Zr I found to induce cell death in MCF-7 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 16.81 µM, which is relatively lower than the IC of tamoxifen at 25.90 µM, indicating relatively higher potency and suggesting that Zr-I may be more effective than tamoxifen, a well-known breast cancer drug. The findings were reproducible across multiple experimental replicates, ensuring reliability of the results. The current study uses various analytical approaches to explore the bioactivity and toxicity assessment of Zr I, suggesting that the compound could be a promising bioactive potential that supports further investigation for continued research in cancer-related applications.