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Original Research Article
Cytotoxic and Apoptotic
Effect of the Decoction of the Aerial Parts of
Flueggea leucopyrus on Human Endometrial Carcinoma
(AN3CA) Cells
Sameera R Samarakoon1*,
Saman B Kotigala1, Ishani Gammana-Liyanage1,
Ira Thabrew1, Kamani H Tennekoon1,
Asitha Siriwardana2 and Prasanna B Galhena3
1Institute of Biochemistry,
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of
Colombo, 90, Cumarathunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 3,
2Industrial Technology Institute, Bauddhaloka
Mawatha, Colombo 07, 3Department of
Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of
Medicine,University of Kelaniya, Thalagolla Road, Ragama,
Sri Lanka
*For correspondence:
Email:
sam@ibmbb.cmb.ac.lk,
ranganath148@yahoo.com; Tel:
+94 112 552 528; Fax: +94 112 552 529
Received: 19 February 2014
Revised accepted: 26 April
2014
Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, June
2014; 13(6): 873-880
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i6.7
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the anti-cancer
potentials of a decoction of Flueggea. leucopyrus (Willd.)
on human endometrial carcinoma (AN3CA) cells.
Methods: Decoction was prepared by
boiling 60 g of the ground plant material in 1.6 L of
distilled water for about 3 h to reduce the volume to
200 mL and then freeze dried. The effect of the
decoction on AN3CA cells was determined by evaluating
its cytotoxicity by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2yl) -2,
5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and sulphorhodamine
B (SRB) assays, as well as its ability to modulate
apoptosis (microscopic observation of morphological
changes, DNA fragmentation and caspase activity). The
antioxidant activity of the decoction was also
determined by DPPH assay, and its total polyphenolic and
flavonoid content.
Results: The decoction exerted a
significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity on AN3CA cells
as evident from MTT assay IC50 values of
22.09 and 14.60 μg/mL at 24 and 48 h post-incubation,
respectively; and SRB assay IC50 values of
28.60 and 15.09 μg/mL at 24 and 48 h post-incubation,
respectively. The decoction also enhanced apoptosis as
shown by enhanced DNA fragmentation, microscopic
observation of nuclear condensation, fragmentation and
apoptotic bodies and enhanced caspase 3 and 9
activities, as well as moderately increased radical
scavenging activity.
Conclusion: The cytotoxic and apoptotic
effects demonstrated by F. leucopyrus (Willd.) decoction
provide supportive evidence for the ethnomedicinal use
of this plant for cancer therapy.
Keywords: Fleuggea leucopyrus (Willd.),
Endometrial carcinoma cells, Cytotoxicity, Apoptosis,
Antioxidant, Anti-cancer |
