jrnls.org logo
Submit

BROWSE ALL JOURNALS

SEE ALL 19 JOURNALS
Pharmacognosy MagazineNOW IN
Article

Cytotoxic Activity of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. on Human Cervical Cancer (HeLa) Cells

José Angel Santiago‑Cruz1★, Jesús Arrieta1, Jazmín García‑Machorro2, Daniel Arrieta‑Baez3, María Elena Sánchez-Mendoza1★ Corresponding author

  1. 1Laboratorio De Farmacología De Plantas Medicinales Mexicanas, Escuela Superior De Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
  2. 2Laboratorio De Medicina De Conservación, Escuela Superior De Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
  3. 3Instituto Politécnico Nacional‑CNMN, Ciudad De México, México.

CORRESPONDENCE

José Angel Santiago‑Cruz

Laboratorio De Farmacología De Plantas Medicinales Mexicanas, Escuela Superior De Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.

mesmendoza@hotmail.com

Received: 13-03-2019; Revised: 22-04-2019.

Volume 15, Issue 65 · pp. 631–637 · PUBLISHED 19 September 2019 · DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_106_19

View on PM original site ↗

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of the present study was to carry out a bioassay‑guided fractionation of Rauvolfia tetraphylla leaves to evaluate the activity on cervical cancer (HeLa) and normal cells. Materials and Methods: Of hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts, hexane extract showed the most cytotoxic activity. Its most active fraction was characterized by mass spectrometry and assessed for cytotoxicity (by 3‑(4,5‑dimethyl‑2‑thiazolyl)‑2,5‑diphenyl‑2H‑tetrazolium bromide assays and trypan blue staining) on cervical cancer (HeLa) cells, normal human (HaCat) cells, and other cancer cell lines: A549, Caco‑2, MDA‑MB‑231, and MCF7. Cisplatin served as the reference drug. Apoptosis was explored as a possible mechanism of action by examining DNA fragmentation and phosphatidylserine translocation. Results: The active fraction, composed of at least 5 constituents, was cytotoxic to all cancer cell lines, especially HeLa cells (IC30 = 20.10 ± 1.1 μg/mL). To a lesser extent, it was also cytotoxic to normal cells (HaCat; IC30 = 40.04 ± 12.78 μg/mL), indicating certain selectivity. Its mechanism of action in HeLa cells involved apoptosis. Conclusion: The active fraction of the hexane extract of R. tetraphylla was cytotoxic to cancer cells and did not produce excessive damage to normal cells. Apoptosis was apparently part of the mechanism of cytotoxicity.

KEYWORDS

Open in new tab

REFERENCES

As published

Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

    Cite this article

    SELECT FORMAT

    Santiago‑Cruz, J. A., Arrieta, J., García‑Machorro, J., Arrieta‑Baez, D., & Sánchez-Mendoza, M. E. (2019). Cytotoxic Activity of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. on Human Cervical Cancer (HeLa) Cells. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 15(65), 631–637. https://doi.org/10.4103/pm.pm_106_19