Cereus jamacaru D.C. Hydroalcoholic Extract Promotes Anti-Cytotoxic and Antitumor Activity.

Jean Vencioneck Dutra,Judá Ben-Hur De Oliveira,Jean Moisés Ferreira,Maria Pimentel Batitucci,Irany Rodrigues Pretti,Claudia Masrouah Jamal,Mirieli Bernardes Xavier,Anny Luz,Mainã Mantovanelli Da Mota,Paula Costalonga Pereira,Suiany Vitorino Gervásio,Hildegardo Seibert França

doi:10.3390/ph11040130

Abstract

Cereus jamacaru D.C. (mandacaru) is a cactus used as food and in the traditional medicine. In the present study, hydroalcoholic extract of C. jamacaru was evaluated for its chemical composition, antioxidant activity, cytotoxic and anti-cytotoxic effects in human lymphocytes and sarcoma 180 cells in vitro by MTT assay and antitumoral, mutagenic and cytotoxic effects on mice sarcoma-induced in vivo. Phytochemical characterization showed positive reactions for coumarin, flavanol and tyramine and total flavonoid content of 0.51 µg/mL. C. jamacaru showed antioxidant activity following DPPH (EC50 = 427.74 µg/mL), ABTS (EC50 = 270.57 µg/mL) and Fe2+ chelating ions assays (EC50 = 41.18 µg/mL). C. jamacaru induced significant decrease of sarcoma 180 viability at 24 h and 48 h of treatment, did not induce cytotoxicity in human lymphocytes and inhibits the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in vitro. Following in vivo assays, C. jamacaru promoted tumor reduction (86.07% of tumor inhibition), without inducing mutagenic or cytotoxic damage on mice blood cells. We propose that phenolic and alkaloid compounds in the extract are related to antioxidant activity, increasing its ability in metal chelating activity and promoting anti-cytotoxic activity against cisplatin, as well as these compounds may act on the cell cycle of the tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, leading to anticancer effects and tumor reduction.

Highlights

Brazil presents the major flora diversity of the world, exclusives biomes and a great number of vegetal species adapted to arid regions [1], such as cacti
Preliminary phytochemistry of C. jamacaru extract showed positive reactions to coumarins, flavonoids and flavanol and thin layer chromatography (TLC) showed the presence of the alkaloid tyramine
C. jamacaru extract presented in its chemical composition phenolic and nitrogen compounds and good antioxidant ability to chelate metallic ions

Summary

Introduction

Brazil presents the major flora diversity of the world, exclusives biomes and a great number of vegetal species adapted to arid regions [1], such as cacti. Medicinal plants used as food, such as cacti, may have compounds such as flavonoids and alkaloids and exhibit strong antioxidant and anticancer effects [4,5,6]. Cactus plants used for humans may exhibit wide variety of phytocompounds, such as phenolic and nitrogen compounds, which have been related to their biological activities [7,8,9]. In vitro and in vivo assays using human and rodent cells have been used to access the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of many substances, such as natural or semi-synthetic products, as well as their effects on DNA [10,11,12]. In vivo studies, such as those using rodents, have been used to complement in vitro studies and may help to understand the effect of metabolization and the toxicological effects of various compounds [11], as well as their potential use in the treatment of cancers

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