Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF SQUALENE ISOLATED FROM CANTHIUM COROMANDELICUM LEAVES

K. Ganesan* and A. Manivel

Abstract

Squalene is a triterpene, which is widely distributed in nature, with reasonable amounts found in olive oil, palmoil, wheat-germ oil, amaranth oil, and rice bran oil. Triterpenes are compounds of natural origin, which have numerously biological activities: anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. These substances can be isolated from plants, animals or fungi. Nowadays, when neoplasms are main cause of death, triterpenes can become an alternative method for treating cancer because of their cytotoxic properties and chemo preventive activities. The present study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of squalene isolated from the leaves of Canthium coromandelicum. Squalene structure was elucidated using spectroscopic methods. This is the first report of the isolation of squalene from Canthium coromandelicum.

Keywords: Squalene, Canthium Coromandelicum, HepG2 Cells.