Abstract
Acacia macrostachya is used in Burkina Faso folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation and cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of this plant. The cytotoxic effects of root (dichloromethane B1 and methanol B2) and stem (dichloromethane B3 and methanol B4) bark extracts of A. macrostachya were assessed on chronic K562 and acute U937 myeloid leukemia cancer cells using trypan blue, Hoechst, and MitoTracker Red staining methods. The antioxidant content of extracts was evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) methods. The root bark extracts B1 and B2 of A. macrostachya demonstrated higher cytotoxicity with IC50 values in a low µg/mL range on both U937 and K562 cells, while the stem bark B4 extract selectively affected U937 cells. Overall, healthy proliferating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pPBMCs) were not or barely impacted in the range of concentrations cytotoxic to cancer cells. In addition, A. macrostachya exhibited significant antioxidant content with 646.06 and 428.08 µg ET/mg of extract for the B4 and B2 extracts, respectively. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and terpenoids/steroids. The results of this study highlight the interest of A. macrostachya extracts for the isolation of anticancer molecules.
Highlights
Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide
Qualitative analysis by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) allowed us to highlight the ubiquitous presence of terpenoids/steroids
This study focused on four different extracts from root and stem barks of Acacia macrostachya, a medicinal plant used in Burkina Faso to treat many pathologies, including inflammation and cancer
Summary
Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. This disease is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of one or more clones of transformed cells and their destructive dissemination to the whole organism by local invasion and systemic spread [1]. The methods of patient care are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery [2] These methods are not always available in developing countries due to their very high cost, lack of adequate equipment, and qualified medical staff. In these countries, more than 80% of people use traditional medicine for primary health care [3]. More recent studies have shown that in addition to inducing genomic instability, reactive oxygen species can activate specific signaling pathways and contribute to tumor development by regulating cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. For a better appreciation of the antioxidant properties of a plant extract, the investigation of interactions between natural antioxidants and other food matrix components represents a main step [11]
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