Insights into the Invitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Activities of Limonia acidissima Fruits

Abstract

Wood apple botanically identified as Limonia acidissima is an indigenous fruit with amazing nutritional and health benefits. Reports from traditional literature of Ayurveda and Siddha portrays the medicinal properties of this fruit. The scooped pulp of the ripe fruit is consumed as such or it can be made into different recipes. But inclusion of this fruit in our diet is not found as a regular practice. Many people are still unaware of the benefits of this fruit. Hence, this study was taken up to unravel the biological potencies of this fruit by conducting in vitro experiments. Phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins and ascorbic acid have been estimated. Anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract of fruit pulp combined with outer rind has been evaluated through inhibition of albumin denaturation. Among the 5 different concentrations (200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 µg/ml), at 1000 µg/ml wood apple has shown 74.55% of protein denaturation inhibition which was compared with standard Diclofenac sodium. Antioxidant capacity of the extract was expressed as mg/100g ascorbic acid equivalent through phosphomolybdenum assay. Dose dependent increase in the antioxidant activity was observed. About 8 different concentrations of the aqueous extract of L. acidissima were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity on MCF 7 cell line. At a concentration of 1000 µg/ml, the extract has shown 93.43% of cytotoxicity and 6.57% of cell viability. Apoptotic induction was evaluated and confirmed by the formation of DNA ladders through DNA fragmentation assay. GCMS analysis of wood apple fruit pulp and rind revealed the presence of several phytochemicals among which many of them had therapeutic activity reported earlier.