Phytochemical and In Vitro Cytotoxic Screening of Chloroform Extract of Ehretia microphylla Lamk

Abstract

Ehretia microphylla of the Boraginaceae family has been extensively used as a folklore remedy for the treatment of a wide range of ailments such as cough, cancer, allergies, and gastrointestinal and venereal disorders. Extensive literature review reports have revealed these findings due to the presence of numerous phytomolecules. To validate traditional claims for cytotoxic activity of E. microphylla, the present study was undertaken. Dried leaves of the plant were powdered and defatted with petroleum ether followed by hot continuous extraction with chloroform. The chloroform extract was subjected to in vitro cytotoxic screening against a panel of human cancer cell lines such as HCT-116 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), PC-3 (prostate), A-549 (lung), HL-60 (leukemia) and MiaPaCa-2 (pancreatic) at 50 µM using SRB assay. The extract exhibited noteworthy cytotoxicity activity against breast and lung cancer. It exhibited 85.55% and 77.93% inhibition against MCF-7 and A-549 cancer cell lines, respectively. The mechanism behind cell death was determined using the DAPI staining method, which induces alteration in nuclear morphology in MCF-7 cell lines evidenced through DAPI staining. Phytochemical screening of E. microphylla extract showed the presence of saponins, steroids, lipids, tannins and triterpenoids. The chemoprofile of the chloroform extract of E. microphylla leaves was established using an n-hexane : ethyl acetate solvent system in a ratio of 6:4. The developed chromatogram showed five spots both in visible and UV light at 254 nm. The information provided in the present study will enable further studies on the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds/fractions by following bioactivity-guided fractionation, and thus, the plant has the potential to reduce proliferation and may induce cell death via apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential of Natural Products in Amelioration of Wound Healing

“…Structures of promising compounds of Ehretia microphylla were depicted in Figure 11(a)and Figure 11 (b). The available literature also reveals that phenolic compounds and triterpenoids are the most bioactive compounds which are responsible for wound healing and anticancer potential of conventionally used phytomolecules such as α-amyrins and β-amyrins ursolic acid belong to the class of triterpenoid however, gallic acid are phenolic compounds exhibited their wound healing and anticancer potential against numerous human cancer cells [123]. It was established that the topical application of E. microphylla extract augmented wound healing with substantial differences in the re-epithelialization in treated animals.…”

Emerging Oxygen Based Heterocyclic Scaffolds as Potential Anticancer Candidates

“…Natural Products are the gold standard excellent prosperity of nature. Natural phytomolecules play a chief role in the alleviation of ample range of ailments and diseases viz; cancer [1,2] antioxidant, wound healing [3][4][5], microbial infections, antiviral, HIV [6,7], inflammation, liver, and respiratory disorders [8,9]. The therapeutic use of herbal remedies is owing to the presence of phytomolecules such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, triterpenoids, and phenolic molecules [10,11].…”