Cytotoxic activity of alkaloids extracted from three Iraqi plants against breast cancer cell line

Abstract

Objectives: Screening for cytotoxic activity of total alkaloid extracts of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Aloe vera, and Capparis spinosa against breast cancer cell line Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and nontumorigenic fetal hepatic cell line (WRL-68). Methods: The plant powders were extracted separately with 80% methanol and chloroform at pH 2 and 10. Total alkaloids were detected qualitatively by Mayer’s, Dragendorff’s, and Hager‘s reagents and estimated quantitatively by bromocresol green spectrophotometry depending on the atropine calibration curve. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazoyl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results: The extract of E. camaldulensis had highest total alkaloid content (24.50±1.70 mg/100 g plant dry weight) than the others. The total alkaloids (400 μg/ml) of E. camaldulensis reduced the cell viability of both cell lines MCF-7 and WRL-68 to 45.25±2.20% and 92.00±1.55%, respectively, and the inhibitory concentration 50% of cells were 375.50 μg/ml for MCF-7. The alkaloids of C. spinosa had effect 79.80±7.08% and 89.50±0.09% against MCF-7and WRL-68, respectively. While the total alkaloids of A. vera had slightly effect on both cell lines. Conclusion: Plant alkaloids appeared variable cytotoxic activity against cancer and normal cell lines depending on the alkaloid contents, concentrations, purity, and cell line types.