EXPLORING THE CYTOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT FROM OXYSTELMA ESCULENTUM AGAINST HUMAN CANCER CELL LINES

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, necessitating the discovery of novel therapeutic agents. Natural products, particularly medicinal plants, are increasingly being explored for their anticancer properties. Oxystelma esculentum, a plant traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine, is known for its wide range of pharmacological effects. This study investigates the anticancer potential of a hydroalcoholic extract of Oxystelma esculentum against human cancer cell lines.

The aerial parts of Oxystelma esculentum were extracted using a 70% ethanol solution, and cytotoxicity was evaluated using MTT and CellTiter-Glo assays. Cancer cells were treated with the extract at concentrations of 100 mg/mL, 250 mg/mL, and 500 mg/mL for 48 hours. The IC50 values were calculated using non-linear regression analysis. The extract demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity in the cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of approximately 230 mg/mL. Cell viability decreased significantly, with a maximum inhibition of 85% at the highest concentration (500 mg/mL). The extract also showed significant ATP depletion in the CellTiter-Glo assay, indicating reduced cellular metabolism.

The results suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of Oxystelma esculentum exhibits potent anticancer activity, likely due to its rich content of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, saponins, and phenolic acids. These findings indicate that Oxystelma esculentum has the potential to be developed into a plant-based anticancer therapy. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved and to validate the efficacy of the extract in vivo.