Apoptotic Effect of Cissus Quadrangularis Ethanolic Extract on A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells

Abstract

Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) extracts are used as various remedies for pain relief, bone regeneration, ulcerations, diuretics, mitigation and treatment of cancer. In addition to antiinflammatory and osteoporotic benefits, the ethanolic extract also has considerable apoptotic effects which effectively suppresses tumor cells upon activation by the mitotic signalling pathways. The present study aimed to investigate whether the ethanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis possessed apoptotic effects against human lung cancer cells. For the present study, MTT (3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol- 2yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was employed to determine the viability of the human lung cancer cells upon treatment with different concentrations of the ethanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis. The percentage of viable cells was calculated, at 570 nm, based on the absorbance of the resultant formazan crystals after treatment with 0.1% DMSO solution. From the results of the MTT assay, it was concluded that when the concentration of the plant extract was increased, the viability of the lung cancer cells significantly decreased, and the IC50 values of CQ was found to be 25 μg/ml which inhibits 50% viability of the human lung cancer cells at this concentration. Thus, the ethanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis had significant cytotoxic effects on the human lung cancer cells and can be used as a potent treatment modality for the same.