Phytochemical Screening
and Cytotoxicity of Crude Extracts of Vatica
diospyroides Symington Type LS
Theera Srisawat1*,
Parinuch Chumkaew1, Waraporn Heed-Chim1,
Yaowapa Sukpondma2 and Kanyanatt Kanokwiroon3
1Faculty of Science and
Industrial Technology, Prince of Songkla University
Suratthani campus, Muang, Suratthani 84000, 2Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 3Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of
Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110 Thailand
*For correspondence: E-mail:
theera918s@hotmail.com or
theera.s@psu.ac.th
Tel: +66-7735-5040 ext 8929; Fax:
+66-7735-5453
Received: 18 October
2012
Revised accepted:
7 January 2013
Tropical
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, February 2013;
12(1): 71-76
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i1.12
Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate the
phytochemistry and cytotoxic activity of the leaf,
branch and fruit extracts of Vatica diospyroides
Symington type LS, an endangered medicinal plant in the
peninsula of Thailand.
Methods: Extracts of the mature
leaves, branches and fruit (both cotyledon and pericarp)
of five-year old tree were obtained using various
organic solvents. Thin–layer chromatography (TLC) and
phytochemical screening were employed to identify the
chemical constituents. Cytotoxicity was characterized by
50 % inhibition (IC50) of human breast cancer
cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468) using
3-(4,5-dimethylthaizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide (MTT) assay.
Results: The extracts of the plant
parts differed in chemical composition. Terpenoids and
anthraquinones were present in all extracts, while
cardiac glycosides and tannins were isolated from the
branches and leaves, respectively. The acetone and
methanol extracts of the fruit cotyledons were highly
cytotoxic against MDA-MB-468 cell line (IC50
= 3.1 µg/ml for both extracts), whereas acetone and
dichloromethane extracts of the fruit pericarps were
highly active against MCF-7 cell line (IC50 =
18.2 and 21.0 µg/ml, respectively). The other extracts
were less active.
Conclusion:
This work revealed the
potentials of V. diospyroides fruit as a cytotoxic agent
against human breast cancer cell lines. However, further
studies, including identification and purification of
the active compounds, will need to be pursued.
Keywords: Breast cancer, Crude
extract, Dipterocarpaceae, MCF-7, MDA-MB-468, Vatica
diospyroides.