Abstract

IN VITRO SCREEENING OF PHYTOCHEMICALS AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF ARGEMONE MEXICANA LEAF EXTRACT

Selvaraj Varun, Sudha Sellappa*

Abstract

The present study investigates the qualitative and quantitative analysisof the major bioactive constituents of Argemone mexicana in aqueous,ethanol and methanol extract of root, stem and leaf. Phytochemicalanalysis of the root, leaves and stem extracts showed the presence ofalkaloids, phenol, sugar, terpenoids, glycosides, flavonoids andtannins. The flavonoids and tannin contents were present in maximumlevel in the aqueous extract of A. mexicana leaf followed by stem androot extracts. MCF- 7 Breast cancer cells were treated with differentconcentrations of the aqueous extract of leaf at two different timeintervals. Cell viability and apoptosis induction, were investigated.A.mexicana extract treated MCF-7 cells exhibited a marked increase inapoptosis as compared to untreated group and the data showed that theactivity of caspase-3, -8 and -9 were significantly enhanced by A. mexicana treatment.Aqueous extract of the leaf showed dose-dependent cytotoxic and apoptotic effect in MCF-7breast cancer cells. The phytochemical analysis of A.mexicana fetches pharmaceuticalcompanies in the production of the new drugs against cancer.

Keywords: A. mexicana, cytotoxicity activity, aqueous extract, MCF-7 cells.