Estimation of Antioxidant, Anticancer and Cytotoxic Properties of Eurycoma longifolia Jack

Abstract

Background and Objective: Eurycoma longifolia roots hold traditional medicinal value, but scientific evaluation of their bioactivity and safety is lacking. This study investigated the antioxidant and anticancer potential of E. longifolia extracts and assessed cytotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Methanol and ethyl acetate extraction were used to obtain E. longifolia root extracts. Antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH assay and antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects were assessed against various cell lines. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the IC50 values among the different groups. Results: The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity was detected in methanol extract (IC50 = 65.50±6.74 µg/mL) and ethyl acetate extract (IC50 = 463.52±59.81 µg/mL). The methanol extract displayed potent cytotoxicity against all tested cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 4.71-6.70 µg/mL. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited moderate cytotoxicity towards the non-cancerous LLC-MK2 cell line (IC50 = 25.00±5.64 µg/mL), but retained high cytotoxicity against the cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and HeLa), with IC50 values of 6.09±1.32 and 6.70±1.87 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: Methanol extract displayed strong antioxidant and antiproliferative activity, but also cytotoxicity in both cancerous and non-cancerous cells. Further research using in vivo models is needed to assess safety and identify specific bioactive compounds for responsible future use.