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Therapeutic potential of Smilax fluminensis ethanolic extract: antitumoral activity in murine melanoma cells

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of leaves ethanol extract from Smilax fluminensis on murine melanoma. The extract was performed by ethylic alcohol and submitted to classical chemical analysis. Cytotoxicity test were performed on neoplastic cells, where antitumor activity was expressed in GI50 (concentration that inhibits 50% of cell growth) and the determination of selectivity index using a normal cell line. In addition, BALB/c mice models were used to evaluate the in vivo antitumor activity of extract in two different concentrations against B16-F10 melanoma cells. The tumor inhibition ratio was determined and the histopathological analyses of nodules and liver were compared. The chemical analysis indicated a major presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Cytotoxicity test results that S. fluminensis extract was active in B16-F10 line (GI50: 4.37 µg/mL), being the extract considered a promising antineoplastic agent. In the experimental model, the inhibition percentage of tumoral growth was between 78.77 and 83.49%. Histopathology analysis of nodules showed necrotic cells reduction, adipocytes presence, melanin deposition, vascularization, and inflammatory process in a concentration-dependent manner. On the liver, the animals treated with the extract on both concentrations showed normal hepatic organization, normal hepatocytes, and absence of inflammatory focus. The results indicate that S. fluminensis extract demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity, reducing the tumoral growth in B16-F10 and could therefore be a promising antineoplastic agent.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT MS), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias.

Funding

This study was supported by Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT MS) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias da Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED)—Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Brazil

    Bruna Z. Fetter & Doroty M. Dourado

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento na Região Centro-Oeste FAMED—Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Brazil

    Danielle Bogo

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento da Universidade Anhanguera Uniderp, Campo Grande, Brazil

    Rosemary Matias

  4. Instituto de Química—Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Brazil

    Zaira R. Guterres

Authors
  1. Bruna Z. Fetter
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  2. Doroty M. Dourado
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  3. Danielle Bogo
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Correspondence to Bruna Z. Fetter.

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This article contains studies with animals approved by Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals (CEUA) under registration 945/2018.

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Fetter, B.Z., Dourado, D.M., Bogo, D. et al. Therapeutic potential of Smilax fluminensis ethanolic extract: antitumoral activity in murine melanoma cells. Mol Cell Biochem 477, 181–189 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-021-04272-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-021-04272-5

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