Anticancer investigations on Carissa opaca and Toona ciliata extracts against human breast carcinoma cell line

Abstract

This study was aimed to determine the effectiveness of two ethnobotanically important plant species Carissa opaca and Toona ciliata against cancer cells. Antiproliferative activity of the plant extracts and their fractions was tested against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line using MTT assay. A concentration dependent inhibition was observed for both crude extracts. C. opaca crude extract showed 78.5% inhibition while T. ciliata showed 57% activity against cancer cells at 500 µg/ml. Fractions were tested at 200 µg/ml concentration and were more active than crude extracts. Chloroform fraction of C. opaca showed maximum inhibition 99% followed by ethyl acetate and methanol fraction of C. opaca exhibiting 96% and 94% inhibition, respectively. Ethyl acetate fraction of T. ciliata showed 78% inhibition of cancer cells at the same concentration. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the chemical composition of C. opaca extract containing alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and saponins while T. ciliata had tannins and coumarins. Present investigation suggests that tested plant species possess potent anticancer compounds specially chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol fractions of C. opaca and ethyl acetate fraction of T. ciliata can be an important source of anticancer drugs.