Abstract
BackgroundMomordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) is a nutritionally and medicinally important fruit restricted to South East Asia with diverse morphological and genetic variations but there is limited information on its medicinal potential.MethodsM. cochinchinensis aril from 44 different samples in Australia, Thailand and Vietnam were extracted using different solvents and tested for its anticancer potential. Anticancer activity of M. cochinchinensis aril on breast cancer (MCF7 and BT474) and melanoma (MM418C1 and D24) cells were compared to control fibroblasts (NHDF). The cytotoxicity of the cells following treatment with the aril extract was determined using CCK-8 assay. Biochemical and morphological changes were analysed using flow cytometry, confocal and transmission electron microscopy to determine the mechanism of cell death.ResultsThe water extract from the aril of M. cochinchinensis elicited significantly higher cytotoxicity towards breast cancer and melanoma cells than the HAE extract. The IC50 concentration for the crude water extract ranged from 0.49 to 0.73 mg/mL and induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependant manner with typical biochemical and morphological characteristics. The greatest cytotoxicity was observed from Northern Vietnam samples which caused 70 and 50% melanoma and breast cancer cell death, respectively.ConclusionsThe water extract of M. cochinchinensis aril caused significant apoptosis and necrosis of breast cancer and melanoma cells, with varieties from Northern Vietnam possessing superior activity. This highlights the potential of this fruit in the development of novel anticancer agents against such tumours, with specific regions on where to collect the best variety and extraction solvent for optimum activity.
Highlights
Cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation initiated by inappropriate cell division
Sample collection and carotenoid analysis Fruits of 44 M. cochinchinensis samples were collected from Thailand, Southern Vietnam, Central Vietnam and Northern Vietnam growing in their natural habitats
15 mature fruits were systematically selected from Thailand (n = 3), Southern Vietnam (n = 3), Central Vietnam (n = 3), Northern Vietnam (n = 3) and Australia (n = 3) for cytotoxicity comparisons (Table 1)
Summary
Cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation initiated by inappropriate cell division. It is categorised as the second leading worldwide cause of death, with 14.1 million estimated cases in 2015 and is a significant health problem in both. More than 80% of the world’s population consider traditional plant-derived medicine as their source of primary health care [5, 6]. Plant-derived medicines have a long history of use in the treatment of cancer and over 60% of currently used anti-cancer agents originated from natural sources [5, 9, 10]. Momordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) is a nutritionally and medicinally important fruit restricted to South East Asia with diverse morphological and genetic variations but there is limited information on its medicinal potential
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