Evaluation of Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Rosa pisiformis (Christ) Sosn. Endemic to Türkiye

Background and Objectives: Rosaceae is a dicotyledonous family comprising 85 genera and approximately 200 species, primarily consisting of economically important perennial plants. Rosa pisiformis (Christ) Sosn. is a Turkish-endemic taxon within this family. Research on R. pisiformis remains limited, necessitating detailed investigation into its medicinal properties. This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of various extracts prepared from the leaves and fruits of R. pisiformis. Materials and Methods: Ethanolic (100%) and hydroalcoholic (ethanol 80% v/v) extracts were prepared from dried leaf and fruit samples of R. pisiformis. Antioxidant activity was determined using the CUPRAC assay, expressed as Trolox equivalents (mM TE/g), while cytotoxicity was evaluated via the MTT assay on MCF-7 (breast cancer), HT-29 (colon cancer), and A-549 (lung cancer) cell lines. Results: The antioxidant activities of fruit extracts (349.89 ± 5.22 mM TE/g for ethanolic and 348.38 ± 5.93 mM TE/g for hydroalcoholic) were significantly lower than those of leaf extracts (1226.94 ± 19.10 mM TE/g for ethanolic and 1193.53 ± 15.59 mM TE/g for hydroalcoholic) according to the CUPRAC assay. Cytotoxicity was strongest against MCF-7, with IC₅₀ values of 14.37 ± 0.05 µg/mL (ethanolic fruit extract) and 33.07 ± 0.20 µg/mL (hydroalcoholic fruit extract). Cytotoxicity against A-549 and HT-29 was moderate to low, demonstrating dependence on solvent polarity and plant part. Conclusions: These findings suggest that R. pisiformis may be a valuable natural source for future target-oriented pharmacological studies, particularly for isolating and identifying cell-specific anticancer agents or antioxidant compounds.