Phytochemical and in-vitro Biological Investigation of Indian Traditional Medicinal Plants for their Cytotoxicity and Hepatoprotective Potential.

Abstract

This study aimed to select 16 medicinal plants based on their folklore remedy for treating various diseases like inflammation, cancer, etc., and scientifically validate their potency. Five among them, namely Centella asiatica (CA), Myristica fragrans (MF), Trichosanthes palmata (TP), Woodfordia fruticosa (WF), and Curculigo orchioides (CO), were scientifically confirmed through the extraction and in-vitro cytotoxic and hepatoprotective evaluation. Based on the cytotoxic and hepatoprotective results, the various fractions of CO were chosen for an in-depth phytochemical study to isolate and characterize active compounds by GC-MS. The results showed promising cytotoxic activity (i.e., IC50=<100 μg/ml) against HeLa cell lines and significant hepatoprotective activity in a dose-dependent manner on CCl4 intoxicated isolated hepatocyte cells. The present study confirmed the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of selected medicinal plants in HeLa and hepatocyte cells. Furthermore, a detailed study on their mechanism of action and clinical application is suggested.