Antiproliferative Activity, Phytochemistry, Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking and Gene Expression Analysis of Maerua edulis Extracts against Human Cervical Cancer Cell Line

Maerua edulis exhibits significant antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells, with hexane and ethyl acetate extracts showing IC50 values of 0.02% and 47.42 {micro}g/mL, respectively. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified key phytochemicals such as diisooctyl phthalate, squalene, and stigmasta-3,5-diene, which were associated with the regulation of apoptotic and cell cycle-related genes (BCL2, CDK2, TP53). Gene expression assays confirmed the modulation of these targets, suggesting the therapeutic potential of M. edulis in cervical cancer. Further in vivo studies are recommended to validate these findings and establish its safety profile.