Anticancer Activity and Phenolic Compounds of Pistacia atlantica Extract

Abstract

Recently a lot of studies have been conducted to identify natural compounds for prevention of the development and recurrence of cancers. The present study aimed to determine phytochemical content and anti proliferative activity of Pistacia atlantica extract. Ethanolic extract of Pistacia atlantica was prepared. The antioxidant activity, total phenol, flavonoid and flavonol content of the extract were evaluated. Cytotoxicity activity of extract on AGS and HeLa cell lines was evaluated by MTT assay 48 hours after treatment. The antioxidant activity of extract was 4.6±0.66 µg/ml while it was 25.41±1.89 µg/ml for butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The total phenol, flavonoid and flavonol contents were 269 mg GAE/g, 40.7 mg RUT/g and 88.12 mg RUT/g, respectively. The extract inhibited the proliferation of AGS, HeLa and HDFs cells with IC50 values of 382.3 μg/m, 332.3 μg/ml and 896.3, respectively. This study revealed that the extract of Pistacia atlantica can suppress the proliferation of gastric carcinoma and cervical cancer cells. The plant with high phytoconstituents could be a promising source of anticancer drugs. Key Words: Pistacia atlantica, Cancer, Antioxidant, Proliferation