Antitumor activity of Manilkara zapota (L.) fruits against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice

Abstract

As a part of searching for potential anticancer agents from natural sources, this investigation was carried out to evaluate the antitumor effect of ethyl acetate extract of Manilkara zapota (L.) fruits (EEFM) against Ehrlich acsites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice. The antitumour activity of EEFM has been evaluated against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight. Treatment with EEFM (at 100 mg/kg body) showed a significant increase in the survival time and decrease in the viable tumor cell count and weight gain in the EAC tumor hosts. Improvement in the altered hematological parameters following the EEFM treatment, like hemoglobin content, RBC and WBC count of the tumor bearing mice, have also been observed. During tumor progression, altered biochemical (SALP and SGOT) parameters were also significantly restored in EEFM-treated mice at 100 mg/kg. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the cytotoxicity against Artemia salina in terms of LD 50 was found to be 3.06 μg/ml for EEFM. So, the results of this study conclude that in vivo the EEFM was effective in inhibiting the growth of EAC. Key words: Manilkara zapota, antitumor, fruits, Ehrlich acsites carcinoma INTRODUCTIONCancer is one of the most frequent neoplastic diseases in human population. Due to lack of effective drugs, it is a fatal disease rating the top three causes of death. Many of the chemotherapeutic agents sold for the treatment of cancer are highly expensive and toxic for normal tissues. Narrow inhibition of these agents limits their applications (Gaidhani et al., 2013). Therefore, the quest for effective anti-cancer drug is an active research field. Medicinal plants have a long history of use in the treatment of cancer. Over 60% of currently used anti-cancer agents are derived in one or another way from natural sources, including plants, marine organisms and microorganisms (Newman et al., 2003). The medicinal importance of plants lies in some chemical substances that produce a definite physiological action on the human body (Cragg, Newman, 2000). Compounds 146 M. Abdul Khalek, Ziasmin Khatun, M. Rowshanul Habib, M. Rezaul Karim derived from plants such as alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, phenolics compounds and terpenoids have antitumour activity (Edeoga et al., 2005;Roslin, Anupam, 2011). Due to the ability of plants to synthesize a variety of structurally diverse bioactive compounds, the plant kingdom is a potential source of antineoplastic and cytotoxic agents.Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen, which belongs to the family Sapotaceae, is an evergreen, glabrous tree that is cultivated throughout the Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh (Ghani, 2003). The seeds of Manilkara zapota are an aperient, a diuretic tonic and a febrifuge. Stem bark is an astringent and a febrifuge (Patricia et al., 2008). The leaves and bark are used to treat cough, cold, dysentery and diarrhea (Chanda, Nagani, 2010). Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities are also reported from the leaves of Manilkara zapota (Nair, Cha...

Manilkara zapota “chicozapote” as a fruit source of health-beneficial bioactive compounds and its effects on chronic degenerative and infectious diseases, a review

“…The cytotoxic effect was further tested in HT-29 cells, which indicated that the aqueous leaf extract triggered morphological changes in cancer cells, induced apoptosis, promoted caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities, decreased MDA levels, elevated catalase levels, and upregulated mRNA levels. Khalek et al ( 67 ), tested the cytotoxicity of an ethyl acetate fruit extract in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells where doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg were administered. Results showed an increase in life span was found to be 41 and 67.7% and a cell growth inhibition of 47.5 and 65.7%, respectively.…”

Actividad antioxidante de los extractos alcohólicos de los frutos de las especies Manilkara achras (Mill.) Fosberg (níspero); Averrhoa carambola L. (tamarindo chino) y Spondias mombin L. (jobo).

“…Estos usos están relacionados con el alto contenido de compuestos fenólicos tanto en la cáscara como en la pulpa del fruto [11]. Además, estudios in vitro revelan que los frutos poseen una importante actividad antioxidante [12], antimicrobiana [13], antiinflamatorio [14] y antitumoral [15].…”

Evaluation of cytotoxic and anticancer effect of Orobanche crenata methanolic extract on cancer cell lines

“…5,6 In addition, plants contain various molecular bioactive compounds, and consequently plant kingdom is a probable foundation of antineoplastic and cytotoxic agents. 7,8…”