Cumulative Anticancer Activity of some herbal Extracts on selected malignant cancer cell lines

The cumulative cytotoxic activity of 16 combined extracts aqueous &ethanol extract of Annona reticulata with Allium sativum, Allium fistolisum and Brassica oleraceae were investigated using a (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay with two human cancer cell lines, MCF-7and HCT 116. A mitochondrialenzyme in living cells, succinate-dehydrogenase cleaves the tetrazolium ring and converts the MTT to an insoluble purple formazan whose intensity is directly proportional to the presence of viable cells in the microwell plate. Results showed a significant (p<0.05) cytotoxic effect of the extract in a dose dependent manner. ComparativeCytotoxicity increased with increase in the concentration of the extract used. IC50 results calculated after MTT test showed the concentration of ethanol extract of Annona reticulata with Allium sativum, Allium fistolisum and Brassica oleraceae required for 50% inhibition of the different cell lines as follows: Sample 1 shows 0.7 µg/ml, Sample 3 shows 3.0 µg/ml Sample 16 shows 0.1 µg/ml showed a significant reduction (p<0.05) in the total count of viable cells for MCF-7and HCT 116 cell lines. Analysis for cell cycle and apoptosis levels of HCT116 cells upon extracts treatment was measured by flowcytometry. Comparative results obtained indicate that there is a correlation between the combined extracts adopted in establishing the antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity of aqueous & ethanol extract of Annona reticulata with Allium sativum, Allium fistolisum and Brassica oleraceae obtained in this study.