Bombax ceiba L. (Bombacaceae), popularly known as the red silk cotton tree, is known in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, urinary troubles, gynaecological problems, bladder disorders, heart diseases, debility, diabetes and impotence. Recently, strong anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, analgesic, antioxidant and antiangiogenic activities of B. ceiba flowers, leaves and stems were demonstrated. Melanoma is a malignant form of skin cancer that occurs in cells called melanocytes, which produce pigments that give skin its color. It is the most serious type of cancer of the skin. Each year in the Europe, more than 60,000 people melanoma. In some parts of the world, especially among Western countries, melanoma is becoming more common every year. In this study the flowers of B. ceiba, collected in Giza (Egypt), were investigated for the first time for their potential radical scavenging, metal-chelating and antiproliferative activities. Petroleum ether (PE) and diethyl ether (DE) extracts were obtained using Soxhlet apparatus. The antioxidant activity was screened through DPPH and Fe-chelating assay as previously described. PE extract exhibited the most promising activity with IC50 values of 37.6 and 33.5 microg/mL for DPPH and Fe-chelating assay, respectively. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of B. ceiba extracts was investigated using the SRB assay against two melanoma cell lines: malignant melanoma (A375) and amelanotic melanoma (C32). PE extract inhibited cancer cell proliferation with IC50 values of 60.4 and 61.3 microg/mL for A375 and C32 cells, respectively. DE extract exhibited IC50 values of 64.2 and 61.1 microg/mL for A375 and C32 cells, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical investigation by GC-MS evidenced the presence of triterpenes as most abundant components. Plants provide a broad spectrum of potential drug substances for cancer therapy with multifaceted effects and targets. Triterpenes are one group of promising secondary plant metabolites. For this reason further investigation will be done to isolate and identify these phtychemicals in B. ceiba extracts.
Bombax ceiba L. flowers: antioxidant and antiproliferative activities against malignant and amelanotic melanoma cell lines
TUNDIS, ROSA;LOIZZO, Monica Rosa;Marco Bonesi;
2012-01-01
Abstract
Bombax ceiba L. (Bombacaceae), popularly known as the red silk cotton tree, is known in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, urinary troubles, gynaecological problems, bladder disorders, heart diseases, debility, diabetes and impotence. Recently, strong anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, analgesic, antioxidant and antiangiogenic activities of B. ceiba flowers, leaves and stems were demonstrated. Melanoma is a malignant form of skin cancer that occurs in cells called melanocytes, which produce pigments that give skin its color. It is the most serious type of cancer of the skin. Each year in the Europe, more than 60,000 people melanoma. In some parts of the world, especially among Western countries, melanoma is becoming more common every year. In this study the flowers of B. ceiba, collected in Giza (Egypt), were investigated for the first time for their potential radical scavenging, metal-chelating and antiproliferative activities. Petroleum ether (PE) and diethyl ether (DE) extracts were obtained using Soxhlet apparatus. The antioxidant activity was screened through DPPH and Fe-chelating assay as previously described. PE extract exhibited the most promising activity with IC50 values of 37.6 and 33.5 microg/mL for DPPH and Fe-chelating assay, respectively. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of B. ceiba extracts was investigated using the SRB assay against two melanoma cell lines: malignant melanoma (A375) and amelanotic melanoma (C32). PE extract inhibited cancer cell proliferation with IC50 values of 60.4 and 61.3 microg/mL for A375 and C32 cells, respectively. DE extract exhibited IC50 values of 64.2 and 61.1 microg/mL for A375 and C32 cells, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical investigation by GC-MS evidenced the presence of triterpenes as most abundant components. Plants provide a broad spectrum of potential drug substances for cancer therapy with multifaceted effects and targets. Triterpenes are one group of promising secondary plant metabolites. For this reason further investigation will be done to isolate and identify these phtychemicals in B. ceiba extracts.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
