Traditional or folk medicine has led to the discovery of important bioactive substances used in several health-related areas. Phytochemicals in Rhoeo discolor (R. discolor) extracts have proven to have important cancer cell specific cytotoxic activity. In the present research, we determined the cytotoxic effect of extracts of R. discolor, a plant commonly used in Mexico for both medicinal and ornamental purposes.
We evaluated the cytotoxic effects against three representative human cancer cell lines: HT-29 colon cancer, Hep-G2 liver cancer and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines, as well as a control fibroblast cell line NIH 3T3.
Ten different crude extracts were tested along with fractions derived from the five most bioactive crude extracts. Analytical data, HPLC-MS-TOF, revealed a high content of phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins, ferulic, vanillic, chlorogenic and p-coumaric acid in the extracts. Phenolic compounds have previously been reported as health beneficial with antioxidant and potential cancer specific cytotoxic effects.
Studies revealed that low concentrations of these crude bioactive extracts (10 µg/ml) and their fractions (50 µg/ml) were effective as cancer specific cytotoxic agents, since they caused a significant proliferation inhibition on cancer cell lines (up to 94.2% in HT-29, 92.9% in Hep-G2 and 61.8% in PC-3 of apoptosis induction) with little harm to the control cell line (no higher than 28.3% apoptosis induction), and, importantly, the most effective extracts were mainly water, methanol and ethanol based..
These results suggest that a diet containing these compounds may function as a medical aid or chemoprotective.
Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2016 May 25 [Epub ahead of print]
Rebeca García-Varela, Oscar Raúl Fajardo Ramírez, Sergio O Serna-Saldivar, Julio Altamirano, Guy A Cardineau
Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, C.P. 64849 Monterrey, NL, México. (52) 81 8358 2000; Centro de Agrobiotecnología, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, C.P. 64849 Monterrey, NL, México. (52) 81 8358 2000; Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco. A.C. Autopista Mty-Aeropuerto Km 10, Parque PIIT. Vía de Innovación 404. C.P. 66629, Apodaca, N.L. México. (81) 382155200ext3016., Centro de Innovación y Transferida en Salud, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Av. Morones Prieto No. 3000 Pte., Col. Los Doctores, C.P. 64710 Monterrey, NL, México. (52) 81 8888 2223., Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, C.P. 64849 Monterrey, NL, México. (52) 81 8358 2000; Instituto de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Batallón San Patricio 112 Col. Valle de San Agustín CP 66278, San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, México. (52) 01 8888 0465., Instituto de Cardiología y Medicina Vascular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Batallón San Patricio 112 Col. Valle de San Agustín CP 66278, San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, México. (52) 01 8888 0465., Centro de Biotecnología FEMSA, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, C.P. 64849 Monterrey, NL, México. (52) 81 8358 2000; Centro de Agrobiotecnología, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, C.P. 64849 Monterrey, NL, México. (52) 81 8358 2000. Electronic address: .