In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of medicinal plants used in traditional Indian medicine to treat cancer.

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of 10 traditional medicinal plants, Asclepias curassavica, Ophiorrhiza mungos Linn., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers, Costus speciosus (J. Koenig.) Smith Costaceae, Achyranthes aspera L., Amaranthus tristis Roxb., Blepharis maderaspatensis L., Merremia emerginata Hall.f., Aegle marmelos Corr., and Tabernaemontana heyneana Wall., used in the traditional Indian system of medicine as a cure for cancer. The present study focuses on the anticancer potential of traditional medicinal plants to induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines.

Methods: Plants were sequentially extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The extract was concentrated to yield the crude extract, which was tested for antioxidant activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, nitric oxide and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assays on four cancer cell lines and a normal cell line. The anticancer potential of cytotoxic extracts was determined by the Annexin-fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated assay in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (COLO 320 DM).

Results: All the tested extracts showed significant antioxidant and antiproliferative activities in a concentration- and time-dependant manner in the following descending order: A. curassavica > C. dactylon > C. speciosus root > A. tristis > M. emarginata > O. mungos > T. Heyneana > B. maderaspatensis > A. marmelos > A. aspera.

Conclusion: The results of the present study support the need of further studies to isolate potential anticancer drug with cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity. Additionally, the study supports the anticancer property of medicinal plants used in the traditional Indian medicine system and further evaluation of the selected medicinal plants for an effective anticancer drug with minimal side effects.