Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

High performance thin-layer chromatography and in vitro cytotoxic studies on ethanol extract of Matricaria chamomilla L (Asteraceae) flowers

Mohammed Al Bratty¹, Lalitha K Govindaram¹ , Neelaveni Thangavel¹, Hassan A Alhazmi¹, Angum MM Ibrahim¹, Vijayalakshmi Maruthamuthu², Ruckmani Kandasamy²

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; ²Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University College of Engineering, Anna University, Tiruchirapalli, India.

For correspondence:-

Accepted: 20 August 2019 Published: 30 September 2019

Citation: Al Bratty M, Govindaram LK, Thangavel N, Alhazmi HA, Ibrahim AM, Maruthamuthu V, et al. High performance thin-layer chromatography and in vitro cytotoxic studies on ethanol extract of Matricaria chamomilla L (Asteraceae) flowers. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(9):1969-1976 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i9.27

© 2019 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To develop a high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC procedure for quantitation of apigenin in ethanol extract of Matricaria chamomilla (Babunaj) flowers, and to evaluate the extract for in vitro cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cell lines.

Methods: Quantification of apigenin was carried out using a CAMAG TLC system. A combination of toluene, ethyl acetate and formic acid (4.5:3.5:0.2 v/v/v) was used as mobile phase, with densitometry detection at 336 nm. The HPTLC procedure was subjected to validation as per ICH guidelines. The cytotoxicity of the extract was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

Results: A sharp apigenin band at Rf of 0.51 was obtained, and the content of apigenin in the extract was 0.062 % w/w. The detection limit (LOD) and quantification limit (LOQ) were 0.19 and 0.57 ng/band, respectively. MTT assay results indicate that M. chamomilla was cytotoxic to Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells, with half-maximal concentration (IC₅₀) of 74 µg/mL.

Conclusion: The developed HPTLC method is linear, precise, accurate and specific for the determination of apigenin. M. chamomilla exerts cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cell line via induction of apoptosis.

Keywords: Matricaria chamomilla, HPTLC, Apigenin, MCF-7 cell line, Cytotoxicity