Preliminary cytotoxicity studies on some Nigerian medicinal plants used as traditional anticancer remedies

Abstract

Crinum jagus, Icacina trichantha and Solanum erianthum are used in ethno-medicine for the treatment of cancer. This study screened different parts of these plants (leaves and bulb of C. jagus; leaves and tuber of I. trichantha; and leaves and stem of S. erianthum) for cytotoxicity. Dried samples of these plant parts were extracted  successively with hexane, ethylacetate and methanol using the maceration method and concentrated to dryness using a rotary evaporator. Cytotoxicity studies on the extracts were carried out using the brine shrimp assay at concentrations of 10 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL (in triplicates). The response of the nauplii to different concentrations of the extracts was observed after 24 h. The LC₅₀ value was used as a measure of the toxicity of the extracts. The LCc₅₀ values for the different extracts of the leaves and bulb of Crinum jagus ranged between 0.251 μg/ml and 10.280 μg/ml. Values ranging between 9.992 μg/mL and 192.602 μg/mL were obtained for the leaves and tuber of Icacina trichantha. The leaves and stem of Solanum erianthum gave LC₅₀ values between 2.395 μg/mL and 84.924 μg/mL. The plant parts under study had very low LC₅₀ values and therefore show promise as potential sources of novel anticancer agents.