Comparative In Vitro Assessment of the Methanol Extracts of the Leaf, Stem, and Root Barks of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius on Lung and Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

OBJECTIVES

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius Mill. I.M.Johnst. is a medicinal plant widely used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The effects of methanol extracts of the leaf, stem, and root barks were evaluated on breast (MCF-7) and lung (NCI-H460) cancer cells at 1-250 μg/mL using the SRB assay and the extracts were screened for phytochemicals using the standard method.

RESULTS

The stem and root extracts showed no activity at the maximum concentration, while the leaf extract at 100 μg/mL showed remarkable cell growth inhibition against breast (-14.50±0.58) and lung cancer (+53.29±4.57) in vitro. The extracts showed the presence of saponins, terpenes, cardiac glycosides, and phenolic compounds. Partitioning of the active leaf extract further enhanced its activity as the chloroform fraction exhibited GI50, LC50, and total growth inhibition (TGI) of 22.5, 68.75, and 43.75 μg/mL against breast cancer, respectively, and GI50 and TGI of 35.4 and 55.8 μg/ mL against lung cancer cells, respectively. However, the aqueous fraction showed no cytotoxicity against either cell line.

CONCLUSION

These results justified the ethnomedicinal uses of the plant against tumor-related ailments. Isolation of the constituents responsible for the observed activity needs to be carried out to further support this claim.