Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of a Viscum album Mother Tincture

In the last decades, extracts of Viscum album L., commonly known as European mistletoe, have attracted increasing interest for their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Nowadays, they are mainly used in complementary cancer treatments. A targeted LC-MRM-MS was selected to determine the chemical composition and the activities of a V. album homeopathic mother tincture (MT#39998). Results showed a complex chemical composition, which was compared with that of other similar extracts. The LC-MRM-MS data were confirmed and complemented by HPLC analysis. Viscotoxins content was evaluated because of their cytotoxicity. MT#39998 was tested for its cytotoxic and antioxidant effect, before and after viscotoxins removal. The composition of MT#39998 in viscotoxins was similar to that of other products already present in the market and its safety was confirmed by estimation of LD50 based on in vitro IC50 values (LD50 was >2 g/kg). The aim of this study is to report a case study on a plant extract. The study was based on the chemical composition, including the metabolome, and on the pharmacological data, including toxicity and antioxidant activities, to validate the current utilization.