Mitracarpus hirtus (L.) DC.: is a potential source for the exploitation of anticancer agents

Abstract

Mitracarpus hirtus (L.) DC. is a weed plant commonly used for the treatment of eczema. The potential of the plant to treat cancer has not been emphasized, hence the need to explore its anticancer potential. M. hirtus was extracted and subjected to petition with solvents of increasing polarity. Its cytotoxic potential was evaluated against MCF-7, HepG2, and HeLa cells using the Neutral red assay and further verified through morphological assessment and DNA fragmentation assay. Crude chloroform fraction (CCF) displayed a cytotoxic effect on all the cell lines with low IC 50 concentrations ranging from 11 -17.87 µg/mL. Morphological assessment of MCF-7 exposed to CCF indicates apoptotic cell death and is further confirmed by its DNA fragmentation. Our data suggest that M. hirtus is a potential source for mining anticancer agents.

Antidiabetic and Hepatoprotective Effects of Aqueous and Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Mitracarpus Hirtus on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

“…Mitracarpus hirtus (L.) DC., also known as 'Harwatsi' in Hausa is a weed plant wildly grown everywhere in Nigeria. The juice obtained from the plant is quite common for the treatment of eczema (Malami et al, 2023). Mitracarpus hirtus L. has been widely used to treat ringworm, rashes, toothache, itch, eczema, venereal diseases (B/kudu et al, 2018), boils, measles (Idris et al, 2015), skin diseases (Suleiman and Suleiman, 2015), and as an antidote for bites and stings (Pansuksan et al, 2014).…”