In vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of Mimusops elengi Linn. methanolic bark extract

摘要

The ayurvedic system of medicine recommends Mimusops elengi Linn. (Sapotaceae) for the treatment of tumors. The study is needed as cancer is the second most common cause for death in the world; most of the traditional drugs have shown resistance, low-cost approaches, and higher toxicity of the existing compound. The present study aims to determine the mode of cell death induced by the methanol extract of ME in human cancer cell lines. Among M.elengi (ME) crude extract and fractions screened for potential anticancer activity, MED and MEE fractions (dichloromethane and ethyl acetate) were found to have promising cytotoxic activities in all cell lines studied by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Suforhodamine B (SRB). MEE found to have more potent activity in cervical cancer (HeLa), colon cancer (HCT15), lung (A549), breast cancer (BT549), glioblastoma (U343 cells). Interestingly, ME was less cytotoxic in normal cell line (HBL-100) indicate the specific activity towards cancer cells. AO/EB staining and Hoechst-33342 staining indicate membrane blebbing, condensed and fragmented nuclei upon treatment with MEE and MED in HeLa, A549 and U343 cells. Fragmented DNA ladder and genomic DNA fragmentation were observed with DNA fragmentation assay based on gel electrophoresis and COMET assay by fluorescent microscopy. Similarly, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometer indicates distortion of normal cell cycle and increased subG0 phase. ME was found genotoxic by micronuclei formation. These results indicate that both MED and MEE fractions induces apoptosis but not necrosis cells in the cancer cells.