EVALUATION OF PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND AN IN VITRO ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF RUBIA CORDIFOLIA (ROOT EXTRACT)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2026v19i6.58882Keywords:
Rubia cordifolia, Cell line, Anticancer, Good health and well-beingAbstract
Objectives: The objective of the study is to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic activity of a standardized ethanolic root extract of Rubia cordifolia (RC) against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF 7) (breast cancer), A431 (human epidermoid carcinoma), and Vero (normal kidney epithelial) cell lines using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl--tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay
Methods: The root of RC was collected and extracted using the Soxhlet procedure. The phytochemical analysis is done, and cytotoxicity property of extracts of the roots of RC was carried out by MTT method against A431, MCF-7, and Vero cell lines.
Results: The extract showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity, with an estimated half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 62.5 μg/mL against MCF7 cells and 125 μg/mL against A431 cells, while Vero cells remained largely unaffected up to 1000 μg/mL. The markedly higher IC50 in Vero cells suggests a favorable selectivity profile.
Conclusion: The phytochemical analysis done showed positive for tannins, saponins, alkaloids, steroids, phenols, and terpenoids. Human breast cancer cell lines and human epidermoid carcinoma cell lines were both significantly inhibited by the root extract of RC. However, minimum cytotoxicity was found against normal kidney cells, indicating safety for normal cells. RC can be used as a source of effective pharmacophores in the treatment of diseases such as cancer.
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