Anticancer activity test of ethyl acetate extract of endophytic fungi isolated from soursop leaf (Annona muricata L.).

Objective: To analyze anticancer activity of an ethyl acetate extract of endophytic fungi isolated from soursop leaf (Annona muricata L.).

Methods: Anticancer activity of fungal extracts was determined by observing its toxicity against MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) cells in vitro by using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay method. At an extract concentration of 100 μg/mL, 4 isolates out of 12 showed high activity against the cancer cell growth. The four isolates were then selected for further IC determination, by measuring the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation at extract concentration of 25 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL, 200 μg/mL and 400 μg/mL.

Results: Results showed that isolate Sir-G5 had the highest anticancer activity with an IC of 19.20 μg/mL. The best isolates were screened again using a normal cell (Chang cells) to determine its toxicity against normal cells. Results indicated that the extracts do not affect the proliferation of normal cells. Molecular identification showed that the fungal isolate Sir-G5 has a close relationship with Phomopsis sp.

Conclusions: The endophytic fungi isolated from soursop leaf has the potential to be used as a source of anticancer agents.