Inhibitory Activity of Leaves Extracts of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. On HT29 Human Colon Cancer Cells
Belsem Marzouk
Laboratoire des Maladies Transmissibles et Substances Biologiquement Actives, Faculté de Pharmacie, Monastir, Rue Avicenne 5000 Monastir, Tunisie
Francesca Mussi
Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
Chaima Alaoui Jamali
Laboratoire Biotechnologies, Protection et Valorisation des Ressources Végétales, Equipe Phytochimie et Pharmacologie des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences-Semlalia, BP: 2390, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
Serena Galati
Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
Khalid Bekkouche
Laboratoire Biotechnologies, Protection et Valorisation des Ressources Végétales, Equipe Phytochimie et Pharmacologie des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences-Semlalia, BP: 2390, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
Mahjoub Aouni
Laboratoire des Maladies Transmissibles et Substances Biologiquement Actives, Faculté de Pharmacie, Monastir, Rue Avicenne 5000 Monastir, Tunisie
Laura Arru
Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy and Unité de Pharmaco-économie et Développement des Médicaments, Laboratoire de Biologie Végétale et Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, 5000 Monastir, Tunisie
Zohra Marzouk
Interdepartmental Research Centre Biogest-Siteia, via Amendola 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
Annamaria Buschini *
Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Citrullus colocynthis is a plant endemic in Asia, Africa and in the Mediterranean basin. It is used in folk medicine against infections, inflammations and cardiovascular and immune-related diseases. There are further evidences of the use of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad in the treatment of cancer in traditional practices. The present study aimed to determine the potential antiproliferative effects of different Citrullus colocynthis leaf extracts on human cancer cells.
Methodology: Antiproliferative and antioxidant effects on HT-29 human colon cancer cells were detected by MTS assay and a modified protocol of the alkaline Comet assay. In vitro antioxidant activities of different leaf extracts were evaluated through DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid and reducing power assays.
Results: The leaf chloroform extract exhibited the higher cell growth inhibitory activity without induction of DNA damage; it showed to be able to significantly decrease DNA damage induced by H2O2 (100 μM). This antioxidant activity seems to be comparable to that of vitamin C (1 mM). Ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol leaf extracts showed to be the most effective in reducing the stable free DPPH radical (IC50 =113 μg/ml), in transforming the Fe3+ to Fe2+ (IC50 = 134 µg/ml) and in inducing linoleic acid oxidation with an inhibition of 31.9 %.
Conclusion: Our results confirm the antiproliferative potential of Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. on human cancer cells.
Keywords: Antiproliferative, DNA damage, antioxidant, DPPH assay, β-carotene/linoleic acid assay, reducing power assay