In Vitro Study of the Cytotoxic, Cytostatic, and Antigenotoxic Profile of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. (Apocynaceae) Crude Drug Extract on T Lymphoblastic Cells

Abstract

In traditional Indian medicine, the crude drug Hemidesmus indicus root—commonly known as Indian sarsaparilla—is used alone or in poly-herbal preparations for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. The present study focuses on the cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of H. indicus extracts on an acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (CCRF-CEM). With this aim in mind, we subjected H. indicus roots to two subsequent extractions (hydro-alcoholic extraction and soxhlet extraction). As DNA damage is an important prerequisite for the induction of mutations/cancer by genotoxic carcinogens, cancer chemoprevention may be achieved by preventing genotoxicity. Through an integrated experimental approach, we explored the genoprotective potential of the soxhlet H. indicus extract against different mutagenic compounds and its cytotoxic, proapoptotic, and cytostatic properties. In our experimental conditions, H. indicus induced a cytotoxic effect involving the activation of both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and blocked the cell cycle in the S phase. Moreover, the antigenotoxicity results showed that the extract was able to mitigate DNA damage, an essential mechanism for its applicability as a chemopreventive agent, via either the modulation of extracellular and intracellular events involved in DNA damage. These data add to the growing body of evidence that H. indicus can represent a noteworthy strategy to target early and late stages of cancer.

Hemidesmus indicus induces immunogenic death in human colorectal cancer cells

“…We recently demonstrated the anti-genotoxicity of an aqueous concentrated H.i. extract [ 45 ], while neither lethality nor conspicuous alteration in mice behavior was noticed after root powder suspension was administered to test acute toxicity on Swiss albino mice [ 46 ]. Furthermore, the LD 50 (the amount of a compound sufficient to kill 50% of a population) measured for liver and kidney is at least 130 times higher than the concentrations used in this study [ 9 ].…”

Deuterium Incorporation Protects Cells from Oxidative Damage

“…Cells were treated with different concentrations (0-12.5 mM) of D-nucleosides, non-D-nucleosides or with D-AA (1-6 mM) for 24 h (i.e., one cell cycle). The viability of Jurkat cells was analysed by Guava ViaCount Reagent (Merck Millipore), containing 7-amino-actinomycin (7-AAD) [12]. Cells were incubated with the Guava ViaCount Reagent in the dark for 5 min and then analysed by flow cytometry (easyCyte 5HT flow cytometer, Guava Technologies, Merck Millipore).…”

Genoprotective activities of plant natural substances in cancer and chemopreventive strategies in the context of 3P medicine

“…Moreover, the cell cycle arrest in S phase for low concentration and G2/M arrest for higher concentration was observed after 24-h HIHE treatment in CCRC-CEM cells. Results suggested that several mechanisms can be involved in genoprotective activity of HIHE by reducing the rates of absorption and uptake of the genotoxic agent and by modulation of DNA repair, cell cycle, or apoptosis at extraand intracellular level [128].…”