Antioxidant, cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of extracts from medicinal plant Euphorbia platyphyllos L.

Abstract

In the present study, potential antioxidant activities of crude extracts (diethyl ether, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and water (infusion and decoction)) fromEuphorbia platyphyllos L. (Euphorbiaceae) were evaluated for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, cytotoxic, DNA damaging and apoptotic activities of the extracts on MCF-7 breast cancer cells of extracts by DPPH assay, trypan blue exclusion assay, comet assay and Hoechst 33258/propidium iodide double staining, respectively. E. platyphyllosextracts showed significant DPPH scavenging activity, except diethyl ether and petroleum ether extracts. In addition to their antioxidant activity, the same extracts and also petroleum ether extract showed a signii¬cant cytotoxic effect on Michigan Cancer Foundation - 7(MCF-7) human breast cancer cell line. Although all of the extracts induced significant DNA damage, diethyl ether extract induced apoptosis in the middle level and the others induced apoptosis in significant level. The results of this study suggested a dose-response relationship for all extract samples. Moreover, this study confirms that crude extracts of E. platyphyllos possess antioxidant properties and provoke DNA fragmentation, a sign of induction of apoptosis. These results suggest that this plant has potential for source of anticancer agents for breast cancer treatments. Further studies are required for the isolation and identification of individual phenolic compounds in the extracts. Key words: Antioxidant activity, apoptosis, comet assay, cytotoxic activity, Euphorbia platyphyllos L., Michigan Cancer Foundation - 7 (MCF-7) cells.