Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

In Vitro Safety Assessment of the Effect of Five Medicinal Plants on Human Peripheral Lymphocytes

K N Varalakshmi , C G Sangeetha, U S Samee, G Irum, H Lakshmi, S P Prachi

Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Post-Graduate Studies, Jain University, 18/3, 9th Main, III Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560 011, India;

For correspondence:- K Varalakshmi Email: varalakshmikn@yahoo.co.in Tel:+918043226500

Received: 3 May 2010 Accepted: 2 December 2010 Published: 14 February 2011

Citation: Varalakshmi KN, Sangeetha CG, Samee US, Irum G, Lakshmi H, Prachi SP. In Vitro Safety Assessment of the Effect of Five Medicinal Plants on Human Peripheral Lymphocytes. Trop J Pharm Res 2011; 10(1):33-40 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v10i1.6

© 2011 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate, using ethnomedical data approach, five Indian plants used in traditional medicine for cancer and other diseases for their safety and cytotoxic activity on human lymphocytes.

Methods: The antiproliferative effect of the 50, 100 and 200 μg/ml aqueous extracts of five plants (leaves of Phyllanthus niruri, Coleus aromaticus, Azadirachta indica and Camellia sinensis, and dried fruit rind of Garcinia indica) were evaluated in vitro using trypan blue dye exclusion and clonogenic assay methods on two cell lines - Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and human peripheral lymphocytes.

Results: Among the five plants used traditionally to treat cancer and other infections, two of them (A. indica and C. aromaticus) exhibited cytotoxic effects on lymphocytes. Two other plants (G. indica and P. niruri) exhibited pronounced cytotoxic effects. Another plant (Camellia sinensis) exhibited cytostimulatory effect (> 50 % cell proliferation). For the plants that are traditionally used in anticancer therapy, there was a correlation between the reported use of these plants and their cytotoxic activity on lymphocytes.

Conclusion: The plant extracts of the leaves of P. niruri, C, aromaticus and A. indica, and the dried fruit rind of G. indica are cytotoxic to lymphocytes and this lends some credence to their traditional use for cancer treatment. However, green tea (C. sinensis) is cytostimulatory and safe for consumption.

Keywords: Balb/c mouse fibroblasts, Cytostimulatory, Cytotoxic, Lymphocytes, Traditional medicine