A preliminary study on phytochemical, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of leaves of Naregamia alata Wight & Arn

Abstract

Natural products have been used since ancient times for the treatment of many diseases. But chemotherapeutic drugs are still considered as most important for treatment of cancer, but this kind of treatment triggers enormous side effects. Considering this fact, attention has been focused on the anticancer properties of medicinal plants. Most of the plants tend to exert their anticancer properties through antioxidant mechanisms. Naregamia alata is an under shrub widely used in the folkloric medicine in Kerala. A study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant potential and any possible mutagenic and cytotoxic effect of Naregamia alata. Phytochemical analysis of leaves of Naregamia alata showed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, phytosteroids and quinones. Leaves were also studied for their antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical scavenging assay and total antioxidant potential using ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). Mitotic index studies showed a considerable reduction in cell division and no chromosomal damage or mitotic anomalies were observed, the cytotoxicity of the leaf extract of Naregamia alata was studied by MTT assay in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The cell lines exhibited moderate inhibitory properties when treated with leaf extract at different concentrations.