International Journal of Indigenous Medicinal Plants, ISSN: 2051-4263, Vol.47, Issue.2 1652 © RECENT SCIENCE PUBLICATIONS ARCHIVES | September 2014|$25.00 | 27703710| *This article is authorized for use only by Recent Science Journal Authors, Subscribers and Partnering Institutions* GC/MS Profiling, in Vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Bidens Pilosa Amal A. Mohamed Plant Biochemistry Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki-Cairo, Egypt. Email: amin_amal@yahoo.com Sami I. Ali Plant Biochemistry Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki-Cairo, Egypt. Email: samiali.nrc@gmail.com Salwa M. El-Hallouty Pharmacognosy Dept. National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki-Cairo, Egypt. Email: hallouty68@yahoo.com Farouk K. El-Baz Plant Biochemistry Dept., National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki-Cairo, Egypt. Email: fa_elbaz@hotmail.com Amarendra N. Misra Centre for Life Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ratu-Lohardaga Road, Ranchi, India. Email: misraan@yahoo.co.uk ABSTRACT Bidens pilosa is traditionally used as food and medicinal plant. Methanolic extracts from shoots and roots of Egyptian B. pilosa were analyzed for their phenolic, flavonoid contents, in vitro antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity. The shoots extract exhibited 52.67±0.39 mg total phenolic/g DW, and 12.33±1.1 mg total flavonoid /g DW, compared to 15.56±0.21mg/g DW, and 2.85±0.01 mg/g DW, respectively for that in roots extract. The shoots extract showed better ability to scavenge 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (IC 50 value 44.57±0.84 μg/ml) than the roots extract (IC 50 value 133.42±1.10 μg/ml). The shoots extract showed higher ferrous ion chelation ability compared to roots, as measured by inhibition of ferrozine-Fe +2 complex. Cytotoxic activities of methanolic extracts were assayed using 4 human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, A-549, HEPG-2 and HCT-116). The shoots extract showed selective inhibition (% of control) of 63.8±0.02 and 40.5±0.03 against MCF-7 and A-549 cell lines at concentration 100μg/ml plant extract with IC 50 values 80.4μg/ml and 105.5μg/ml, respectively. GC-MS analysis depicts heterocyclic compounds; these compounds could be responsible for antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effects. Further studies are in progress to investigate the individual compounds isolated from B. pilosa to understand the traditional uses, and develop the pharmaceutical applications of each of these isolated compounds. Keywords - Bidens pilosa, cancer cells, DPPH, flavonoid, GC-MS, phenolic. 1. INTRODUCTION Plants are one of the most important sources of biologically active natural products, often used by the pharmaceutical industry as medicines [1]. Phenols, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, lignans and others, are prevalent in medicinal plants. Plant phenolics act as free radical scavengers, reducing agents, quenchers of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and antioxidants against membrane lipid peroxidation [2]. Antioxidants play an important role in human health and prevention of several diseases [3]. Bidens pilosa is a perennial herb widely distributed across temperate and tropical regions [4]. It is a rich source of food and medicine for animals and humans [5]. The medicinal use of B. pilosa, either as a plant part or whole plant, is reported in Africa, Asia, and Oceania [6]. All parts of B. pilosa plant such as, the aerial parts (leaves, flowers, seeds, and stems), and the roots, were used as ingredients in folk medicines [7]. The fresh or dried parts of shoot and root are used as antihyperglycemic [8], anti- ulcerogenic [9], antitumor [10], and antioxidant [11] agents. Phytochemical analysis of B. pilosa extracts revealed a broad profile of chemical constituents useful in food and medicine. The main compounds isolated from the plant are flavonoids, terpenoids, phenyl propanoids, aromatic compounds, porphyrins and other substances [12]. However, the bioactive potential of B. pilosa extracts is not yet fully established and is the focus for future investigations. Therefore, the present work aims to determine the total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and chemical profiling by GC-MS in the methanolic extracts of B. pilosa shoots and roots, and assay their antioxidant activities and bioactive potential in cancer cells. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1. Chemicals and Reagents Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), sodium carbonate and aluminum chloride were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co., Ltd (St. Louis, MO, USA). Ferrozine or 3-(2-pyridyl)-5, 6-bis (4- phenylsulfonic acid)-1, 2, 4-triazine monosodium salt and 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium