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Cytotoxicity, in vivo toxicity, and chemical composition of the hexane extract of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng

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Abstract

Cancer is a universal health issue, and many anticancer therapeutic drugs have been isolated from natural products. This study analyzed the cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of Plectranthus amboinicus leaf hexane (PALH) extract in MDA-MB-231 (median inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 39.26 μg/mL) and MCF7 (IC50 = 89.05 μg/mL) breast cancer cell lines. Cells appeared rounded and shrunken, indicating morphological changes due to apoptosis induction. The primary constituent of PALH was phenol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl) (44%). PALH extract treatment increased the percentage of late apoptotic cells in the MDA-MB231 cell line (58% ± 1.5% at 200 μg/mL) compared to the control group, as evidenced by the activated caspase-3 and caspase-7 identified and captured by fluorescence microscopy. The relative migration rate in MDA-MB-231 cells treated with 10 μg/mL of PALH extract for 48 h was significantly lower compared to the control group. Analysis of acute (2000 mg/kg/BW) and subacute (250 and 500 mg/kg/BW) toxicity of PALH extract in mice showed no mortality or adverse effects in the kidney and liver histology compared to the control group. PALH extract can be considered nontoxic as it does not cause any adverse changes and so can be proposed as a potential breast anticancer agent.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, for funding through Vice Deanship of Scientific Research Chairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Environmental Technology (NCET) King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Life Sciences and Environment Research Institute (LSERI), Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed Almalki

  2. Department of Zoology College of Science, Bioproducts Research Chair King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Nael Abutaha & Muhammad A. Wadaan

  3. Department of Biology College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia

    Amin A. Al-Doaiss

  4. College of Science, Biology Department, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Al-Zahrani Mohammed

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  1. Ahmed Almalki
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  2. Nael Abutaha
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  3. Amin A. Al-Doaiss
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  4. Al-Zahrani Mohammed
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  5. Muhammad A. Wadaan
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Contributions

Conceptualization, N.A.; methodology, A.A., N.A., M.A.W., A.A.A., A.Z.; software, N.A., AA.; writing—original draft preparation, N.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nael Abutaha.

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The experiments were approved by the Faculty of Science, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, ethical committee (approval no. 1442-265).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim

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Almalki, A., Abutaha, N., Al-Doaiss, A.A. et al. Cytotoxicity, in vivo toxicity, and chemical composition of the hexane extract of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 48141–48153 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13796-8

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