Abstract
BackgroundSix plants from Thailand were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) as compared to normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines.MethodsEthanol-water crude extracts of the six plants were tested with neutral red assay for their cytotoxicity after 24 hours of exposure to the cells. Apoptotic induction was tested in the HepG2 cells with diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. DNA fragmentation, indicative of apoptosis, was analyzed with agarose gel electrophoresis. Alkylation, indicative of DNA damage, was also evaluated in vitro by 4-(4'-nitrobenzyl) pyridine assay.ResultsThe extract of Pinus kesiya showed the highest selectivity (selectivity index = 9.6) and potent cytotoxicity in the HepG2 cell line, with an IC50 value of 52.0 ± 5.8 μg/ml (mean ± standard deviation). Extract of Catimbium speciosum exerted cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 55.7 ± 8.1 μg/ml. Crude extracts from Glochidion daltonii, Cladogynos orientalis, Acorus tatarinowii and Amomum villosum exhibited cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging 100-500 μg/ml. All crude extracts showed different alkylating abilities in vitro. Extracts of P. kesiya, C. speciosum and C. orientalis caused nuclei morphological changes and DNA laddering.ConclusionThe extracts of C. speciosum, C. orientalis and P. kesiya induced apoptosis. Among the three plants, P. kesiya possessed the most robust anticancer activity, with specific selectivity against HepG2 cells.
Highlights
Six plants from Thailand were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) as compared to normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines
The mobile phase consisted of 20% acetonitrile in 80% Milli-Q water, 0.1% H3PO4
Chemical identification of plant crude extracts using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) HPLC chromatograms were used as references for quality control in future experiments
Summary
Six plants from Thailand were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) as compared to normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines. Natural products have been used as anticancer agents [1], such as vincristine and vinblastine from Catharanthus roseus [2], taxol and docetaxel from Taxus brevifolia [3] and camptothecins from Camptotheca acuminata [4]. Even vegetables and fruits may help reduce the risk of cancer in humans [5,6]. We selected six Thai plants for this study, namely Glochidion daltonii, Cladogynos orientalis, Catimbium speciosum, Acorus tatarinowii, Amomum villosum and Pinus kesiya which are native to China. This study investigates the cytotoxicity of these six plants against the human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cell line
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
