Cytotoxic Activity of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Tuber on Cervical CancerCell Line.

The present study explores the cytotoxic activity of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Elephant foot yam) tuber on cervical cancer cell line (HeLa cell line). The extracts of the tuber in Petroleum Ether, Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate, Methanol and Distilled Water were evaluated by direct observation of cells using inverted phase contrast microscope followed by MTT assay using tetrazolium dye. All the five extracts of the tuber showed a dose-dependent MTT reduction in HeLa cell line. Petroleum ether extract with half-maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50 26.9478 µg/mL in MTT assay have shown greater cytotoxic activity. The toxicity of the petroleum ether extract to normal cells were studied using L6 - Rat myoblast cell lines. In the case of normal cell lines, IC50 value obtained is 95.37 µg/mLwhich supports the non-toxic effect of the extract at therapeutic concentration on normal cells. Qualitative analysis of the petroleum ether extract shows the presence of phenols, tannins and saponins. The quantitative study is carried out using colorimetric method. The quantitative study showed that the petroleum ether extract contains higher number of phenolic compounds, 84.51 µg per mg equivalent of standard Gallic acid. Petroleum Ether extract with the presence of these phytochemicals hence serves as a potential source of anti-cervical cancer agents. The isolation and characterization of the phytochemicals may open up opportunities for further study and application of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius tuber in anti-cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]