Exploring anticancer activity of the Indonesian guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) fraction on various human cancer cell lines in an in vitro cell-based approach

Abstract

Breast and cervical cancers are the leading cause of death in women, and chemotherapy with cytotoxins is the usual treatment. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) extracts as an alternative chemotherapeutic drug. Although many studies related to the cytotoxic effects of guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) on cancer cells have been reported, the effects of guava leaf fractions on human breast and cervical cancer cells (T47D, MCF-7, and HeLa) have never been evaluated. Herein, we researched candidate activities of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-extracts from guava leaf fractions and their effect on various human cancer cell lines (T47D, MCF-7, and HeLa cells). The cytotoxicity test was carried out using the microtetrazolium assay for all fractions. We confirmed and showed the in vitro antitumor activity of guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) fractions in human breast and cervical cancer cells. We found that the effectiveness of anticancer activity increased from ethanol to ethyl acetate to n-hexane fraction. This work underlines the potential of n-hexane fraction as a chemotherapeutic drug. These novel results have important implications for further isolation, identification, and characterization of Psidium guajava L.-based anti-cancer extracts.