Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate antiproliferative activity, antioxidant capacity and tannin content in plants from semi-arid northeastern Brazil (Caatinga). For this study, we selected 14 species and we assayed the methanol extracts for antiproliferative activity against the HEp-2 (laryngeal cancer) and NCI-H292 (lung cancer) cell lines using the (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazole) (MTT) method. In addition, the antioxidant activity was evaluated with the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay, and the tannin content was determined by the radial diffusion method. Plants with better antioxidant activity (expressed in a dose able to decrease the initial DPPH concentration by 50%, or IC50) and with higher levels of tannins were: Poincianella pyramidalis (42.95 ± 1.77 µg/mL IC50 and 8.17 ± 0.64 tannin content), Jatropha mollissima (54.09 ± 4.36µg/mL IC50 and 2.35 ± 0.08 tannin content) and Anadenanthera colubrina (73.24 ± 1.47 µg/mL IC50 and 4.41 ± 0.47 tannin content). Plants with enhanced antiproliferative activity (% living cells) were Annona muricata (24.94 ± 0.74 in NCI-H292), Lantana camara (25.8 ± 0.19 in NCI-H292), Handroanthus impetiginosus (41.8 ± 0.47 in NCI-H292) and Mentzelia aspera (45.61 ± 1.94 in HEp-2). For species with better antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, we suggest future in vitro and in vivo comparative studies with other pharmacological models, and to start a process of purification and identification of the possible molecule(s) responsible for the observed pharmacological activity. We believe that the flora of Brazilian semi-arid areas can be a valuable source of plants rich in tannins, cytotoxic compounds and antioxidant agents.
Highlights
IntroductionMolecules derived from plants (e.g., vincristine, taxol and etoposide) have played an important role in cancer therapy and continue to be a promising source of new therapeutic agents [1]
Molecules derived from plants have played an important role in cancer therapy and continue to be a promising source of new therapeutic agents [1]
Of the 14 plants tested, four stood out because they showed the lowest sample concentration required to reduce free radicals by 50% (IC50)
Summary
Molecules derived from plants (e.g., vincristine, taxol and etoposide) have played an important role in cancer therapy and continue to be a promising source of new therapeutic agents [1]. For the discovery of new anticancer agents, herbal extracts are taken once the plant species are selected (usually based on random, chemosystematic, ecological and/or ethnobotanical criteria) and these are subsequently evaluated using several cancer cell lines. Phenolic compounds have been related to antioxidant activity, some studies have emphasized specific classes, such as the flavonoids and tannins [6,7]. The objective of this study was evaluate the antiproliferative activity, antioxidant capacity and tannin content in 14 plants from semi-arid northeastern Brazil. The plants selected for this study were collected in a semi-arid ecosystem region in northeastern Brazil called the Caatinga (dry forest). The reported studies have yielded species with antioxidant activity [9,10] and high levels of tannins [11,12]
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