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Antiproliferative activity against human tumor cell lines and toxicity test on Mediterranean dietary plants
F Conforti1, G Ioele, G A Statti
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy. filomena.conforti@unical.it
Abstract:
Sixteen edible plants from Southern Italy were evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative properties, using the sulforodamine B (SRB) assay, on four human cancer cell lines: breast cancer MCF-7, prostate cancer LNCaP, amelanotic melanoma C32 and renal adenocarcinoma ACHN. After 48 h of incubation the most antiproliferative plant extract was Cynara cardunculus ssp. cardunculus on C32 and ACHN cell lines with IC(50) of 21 and 18 microg/ml, respectively. Mentha aquatica showed a selective antiproliferative activity on breast cancer while significant activity was exerted by Cichorium intybus on melanoma. These species contained the highest amount of phenolics. The acute toxicity of the hydroalcohol extracts from all the plants were evaluated by using the Microtox acute toxicity test. This bacterial test measures the decrease in light emission from the marine luminescent Vibrio fischeri bacteria when exposed to organic extracts. This inhibition test was revealed to be highly sensitive, cost effective and easy to operate, requiring just 15 min to predict the sample toxicity. All the extracts analyzed resulted to give values very less than a limit of 20% value, demonstrating so an irrelevant toxicity for the human health. In contrast, Echium vulgare and Malva sylvestris showed bioluminescence inhibition values of 19.42% and 17.32%, respectively, just under the established limit.
Insights
Southern Italian edible plants show promising anticancer potential. Extracts from Cynara cardunculus, Mentha aquatica, and Cichorium intybus exhibited significant antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines with low toxicity.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Phytochemistry
- Oncology
Background:
- Edible plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic applications.
- Investigating the antiproliferative and toxicological profiles of indigenous flora is crucial for drug discovery.
- Southern Italy harbors a diverse range of edible plants with largely uncharacterized medicinal properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro antiproliferative activity of sixteen Southern Italian edible plants against human cancer cell lines.
- To assess the acute toxicity of these plant extracts using a standardized bacterial luminescence test.
- To identify plants with significant anticancer potential and low toxicity for further investigation.
Main Methods:
- In vitro antiproliferative screening using the sulforodamine B (SRB) assay on breast cancer (MCF-7), prostate cancer (LNCaP), amelanotic melanoma (C32), and renal adenocarcinoma (ACHN) cell lines.
- Determination of IC(50) values for potent extracts.
- Acute toxicity assessment via the Microtox assay, measuring bioluminescence inhibition of Vibrio fischeri bacteria.
Main Results:
- Cynara cardunculus ssp. cardunculus demonstrated potent antiproliferative activity against melanoma (C32) and renal (ACHN) cell lines (IC(50) = 21 and 18 µg/mL, respectively).
- Mentha aquatica exhibited selective antiproliferative effects on breast cancer cells.
- Cichorium intybus showed significant activity against melanoma cells. These active species were rich in phenolics.
- All plant extracts displayed negligible toxicity according to the Microtox assay, with Echium vulgare and Malva sylvestris showing inhibition values just below the 20% toxicity threshold.
Conclusions:
- Several Southern Italian edible plants possess significant in vitro antiproliferative properties against various human cancer types.
- Cynara cardunculus, Mentha aquatica, and Cichorium intybus are promising candidates for further development as anticancer agents.
- The evaluated plant extracts demonstrate a favorable safety profile, with low acute toxicity, supporting their potential for human consumption and therapeutic use.
