Cytotoxic effect of Trigonella coerulescens subsp. ayvalikensis Erdoğan, Selvi & Tümen in prostate and colon cancer cell lines

Abstract

Trigonella coerulescens subsp. ayvalikensis is an annual local endemic taxon distributed only in Ayvalık/Balıkesir district and evaluated in the Vulnerable Category (VU). Trigonella L. is an important genus with medicinal and economic value in the Fabaceae family. Seeds of the genus Trigonella are known to contain several groups of secondary metabolites, the most abundant compounds being steroidal saponins, as well as flavones, isoflavones, and polysaccharides. In our study, the cytotoxic effect on two different cancer cell lines namely, PC-3 (prostate) and SW480 (colon), was investigated by extracting Trigonella coerulescens subsp. ayvalikensis with different solvents. The cytotoxic effects of extracts obtained from plant seeds with different solvents (hexane, methanol, ethanol, acetone) were investigated. The MTT test was used to examine the cytotoxic effect, which was studied with PC-3 and SW480 cancer cell lines. The different concentrations (23.45 µg/µL, 46.875 µg/µL, 93.75 µg/µL, 187.5 µg/µL, 375 µg/µL) of seed extracts were applied to the cells at different times points (24h, 48h and 72h) and absorbance was taken at 550 nm in the spectrophotometer. As a result of cytotoxic studies, it was observed that hexane extract had the most reducing effect on PC-3 compared to the control groups. In the SW480 cell line, a proliferative effect was observed in extracts prepared with methanol, hexane, and acetone in the early period of 24 hours. In the later period (72 hours), the extract prepared with hexane and acetone showed the most cytotoxic effect on SW480 cells.