Cytotoxic activity of selected plants used as antitumorals in Mexican traditional medicine

Crude extracts from nine plants widely used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of cancer have been subjected to a bioscreening study to detect cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells. Three different extracts (petroleum ether, ethylacetate, and methanol) from each plant species, were tested towards KB, HCT-15 COLADCAR and UISO-SQC-1 cell cultures. The results showed that three plants Colubrina macrocarpa (Cav.) Don (Rhamnaceae), Acacia pennatula (Schltdl. and Cham.) Benth (Leguminosae) and Hemiangium excelsum (HBK.) Smith (Hippocrateaceae), exhibited important cytotoxic activity showing a certain degree of selectivity against the tested cells in culture.