Phenolic compounds from the cruciferous Diplotaxis simplex and their inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase and cancer cells

The rocket Diplotaxis simplex (Viv.) Spreng (vernacular name: Jarjir) is a wild edible plant from the Brassicaceae family, which represents an important herb species in Tunisia.  The present work studied the anti-proliferative potential of ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts from D. simplex flowers against MCF7 human breast-cancer and K562 human leukemia cells. The anti-obesity potential was evaluated by the inhibitory effect of flowers extracts on recombinant human pancreatic lipase. The liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the flowers extracts allowed the identification of 7 phenolic acids and 9 flavonoids. Hyperoside and quercetrin were the major identified flavonoids and coumaric acid was the major phenolic acid. The ethyl acetate extract was effective in inhibiting K562 human leukemia cells (IC50 value: 20 µg/ml) and pancreatic lipase activity (IC50 value: 0.14 mg/ml).  These data suggest that D. simplex may be useful as a candidate in the treatment of obesity and the leukemia cancer.