Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Radioprotective and In-Vitro Cytotoxic Sapogenin from Euphorbia neriifolia (Euphorbiaceae) Leaf

Papiya Bigoniya¹ , Avtar Chand Rana²

¹Radharaman College of Pharmacy, Radharaman Group of Institutes, Ratibad, Bhopal, M.P. 462002; ²B.N College of Pharmacy, B.N Group of Colleges, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.

For correspondence:- Papiya Bigoniya Email: pbigoniya2@hotmail.com Tel:+9107552477941

Received: 25 June 2009 Accepted: 11 September 2009 Published: 21 December 2009

Citation: Bigoniya P, Rana AC. Radioprotective and In-Vitro Cytotoxic Sapogenin from Euphorbia neriifolia (Euphorbiaceae) Leaf. Trop J Pharm Res 2009; 8(6):521-530 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v8i6.7

© 2009 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: Euphorbia neriifolia Linn. (Euphorbiaceae) plant is traditionally used in the treatment of abdominal troubles, bronchitis, tumours, leucoderma, piles, inflammation, and enlargement of spleen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer activities of a sapogenin isolate of this plant.

Methods: Euphol was isolated as a major constituent from the triterpenoidal sapogenin fraction of E. neriifolia leaf. Its in-vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by reducing power assay, 1,1 – diphenyl –2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, as well as hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical scavenging activities. Radioprotective activity was assessed against radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations and cytotoxicity on murine F₁ B16 melanoma.

Results: The sapogenin exerted moderate antioxidant activity with highly significant (p < 0.001) reduction of gamma radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations (33.5 % compared to 71.5 % for radiation treatment alone at 4 Gy). It also exhibited cytotoxic activity on melanoma cell lines (IC₅₀= 173.78 mg/ml).

Conclusion: The sapogenin fraction showed antioxidant, radioprotective and cytotoxic activities. This study provides a scientific basis for the claimed traditional anticarcinogenic potentials of E. neriifolia.

Keywords: Euphorbia neriifolia; Euphol; Sapogenin; Antioxidant; Radioprotective; Melanoma; Chromosomal aberration