Protective effect of chemically characterized extract of Viola stocksii Boiss. against breast cancer and vincristine induced neuropathic pain by alleviation of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers

Abstract

Viola stocksii Boiss. is an important medicinal food plant. The powdered form of the species is mixed with butter and used as energy booster in subcontinent. The ethnomedicinal applications of the species include erectile dysfunction, inflammation and fever. In this study, the hydroethanolic extract of V. stocksii (HEEVS) was evaluated for its chemical composition, cytotoxicity, antineuropathic and antioxidant potential. The HPLC-PDA analysis revealed the presence of a total of 13 polyphenols, and 13 compounds were tentatively identified in the GC-MS profiling. The extract showed significant activity against the breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-23 and MCF-7) in MTT assay. The in vivo toxicity assessment revealed the biocompatibility of the extract with LD50 > 2000 mg/kg in mice. HEEVS significantly reduced the number of acetic acid induced abdominal writhings at 200 mg/kg. The extract reduced the vincristine induced neuropathic pain (VCINP) by increasing paw withdrawal threshold (g) and tail withdrawal latency time (s) significantly (p < 0.001) at 150 and 200 mg/kg. A marked (p < 0.001) alleviation observed in the levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in sciatic nerve tissues of the animals. The enzyme inhibition and antioxidant assays unveiled the activity of HEEVS against cyclooxygenase COX-I and COX-II and free radical scavenging potential. The in-silico analysis revealed the potential interaction of the selected compounds with COX-I and COX-II. This report suggests that V. stocksii is a biocompatible source with abundant of polyphenols and encourages the use of the species as food and therapeutic alternative for addressing chemotherapy induced neuropathy.