Abstract
Cancer is a group of diseases occurring in all regions of the world and is the cause of millions of deaths each year. It is believed that approximately 132 000 melanoma skin cancer cases arise each year [1]. This high incidence of skin cancer cases in mostly associated with increased levels of ultraviolet radiation [2]. Plants provide an immeasurable source of bioactive compounds for drug discovery. Some of these plant-derived compounds are currently being used in chemotherapy for the treatment of a variety of cancers [3]. The vast amount of unexplored plants therefore represents the potential of finding new drugs for the treatment of cancer. The current study focuses on the ethanolic leaf and fruit extracts of Combretum molle R. Br. ex G. Don [Combretaceae] and the potential of these extracts for anti-cancer activity against skin cancer and their possible mechanisms of action. The C. molle extracts were investigated for their cytotoxicity and synergistic activity on two human skin cancer cell lines (MEL-1; A431) and a non-cancerous skin cell line (HaCat) using the XTT Cell Proliferation Kit II. Cell death studies of the lead extracts were determined using light microscopy and an Annexin V kit. Other mechanistic studies included inflammation and immunity studies and the anti-metastatic potential of the lead extracts. The leaf extract of C. molle showed the highest cytotoxic activity on the MEL-1 cells with an IC50 of 17.56 µg/ml. The leaf and fruit extracts of Combretum molle showed good activity on the A431 cell line with IC50 values of 27.03 µg/ml and 29.99 µg/ml, respectively. From the light microscopy images morphological characteristics of apoptosis were observed. Both the fruit and leaf extracts also showed significant anti-inflammatory potential. The results obtained for the C. molle extracts indicate that these extracts can be potentially useful as a topical application for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma skin cancer.
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