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Anticancer effect of Cenchrus ciliaris L
Esraa A Alothman1, Amani S Awaad1, Norah A Al-Qurayn1
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia.
Summary
Cenchrus ciliaris extracts show promising anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines, particularly hepatocellular, colorectal, and lung carcinomas. Root extracts demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects, comparable to the standard drug vinblastine sulphate.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology and Natural Products Chemistry
- Cancer Research and Therapeutics
Background:
- The search for novel anticancer agents from natural sources is ongoing.
- Cenchrus ciliaris (Buffel grass) is a widely distributed grass with potential medicinal properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro anticancer activities of Cenchrus ciliaris extracts.
- To compare the efficacy of Cenchrus ciliaris extracts with vinblastine sulphate.
Main Methods:
- Total alcohol and successive extracts from aerial and root parts of Cenchrus ciliaris were prepared.
- Cytotoxic effects were assessed against human cancer cell lines: A-549 (lung), CACO (intestinal/colorectal), HCT-116 (colon), Hela (cervical), HepG-2 (hepatocellular), and MCF-7 (breast).
- Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined and compared to vinblastine sulphate.
Main Results:
- Cenchrus ciliaris extracts exhibited direct cytotoxic effects on all tested cancer cell lines.
- Root extracts showed potent activity, especially against HepG-2 (Hepatocellular carcinoma) with an IC50 of 9 ± 2.1 µg/ml.
- Chloroform extracts demonstrated the highest anticancer activity, particularly against colorectal (CACO) and lung (A-549) carcinoma cell lines, outperforming the standard drug in some cases.
Conclusions:
- Cenchrus ciliaris possesses significant anticancer properties.
- The plant, particularly its root extracts, represents a promising source for developing new chemical entities for cancer therapy.
- Further investigation into the specific compounds and mechanisms of action is warranted.
