Carob seeds as a source of bioactive flavonoid derivatives: isolation, network pharmacology‐guided anti‐cancer activity, and HPLC standardization

Abstract Carob, Ceratonia siliqua L. (CS), is a legume well‐known for its edible pod pulp. Its seeds are used almost exclusively as a source of the food additive E410. Although a variety of metabolites have been identified by HPLC and LC–MS analysis in CS, reports concerned with their isolation are scarce. In this study, two flavonoid derivatives were isolated from the methanolic extract of CS seeds, namely, quercetin‐3‐ O ‐rhamnoside and 4′‐ p ‐hydroxybenzoylisorhamnetin‐3,7‐di‐ O ‐rhamnoside. Network pharmacology was unusually used as a guide for estimation of the biological potential of the isolated compounds. Finally, the methanolic extract of CS seeds and its ethyl acetate fraction were standardized for their 4′‐ p ‐hydroxybenzoylisorhamnetin‐3,7‐di‐ O ‐rhamnoside content by HPLC. The identified isolates displayed the ability to interfere with the activity of several target proteins associated with renal and colon cancers. Their cytotoxic effect on renal and colorectal cancer cell lines was investigated in comparison to Doxorubicin. The selectivity of the isolated compounds was evaluated on normal human fetal fibroblast cell lines. The isolated 4′‐ p ‐hydroxybenzoylisorhamnetin‐3,7‐di‐ O ‐rhamnoside showed very potent cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines with the highest selectivity. CS seeds can be used as a source of bioactive flavonoid derivatives that can be incorporated in pharmaceutical industries.