Abstract
Swertia chirata belonging to Gentianaceae family is a medicinal plant known to exhibit various pharmacological properties.
This study investigates the antiproliferative effects of the aerial parts of S. chirata methanol extract (SCME) against breast cancer cells.
Antiproliferative effects of SCME were assessed on human breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 using the MTT cell viability assay at concentrations ranging from 6.25 µg/mL to 400 µg/mL for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Colony formation assay was performed to visualize the growth inhibition. Cellular apoptosis was determined by Hoechst staining. Additionally, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities were also assessed by DPPH, ABTS, TPC, SOD and CAT assays.
The results obtained indicate that SCME has potent cytotoxic activity towardsMDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 with anIC50value of 112 ± 4.5 μg/ mL and 180 ± 3 μg/ mL, respectively. Microscopic assessment of cellular and nuclear morphology of SMCE treated breast cancer cells indicated that SCME induced apoptosis as a mode of programmed cell death in these cells. Antioxidant profiling of SCME also indicated a high concentration of polyphenols and presence of antioxidant enzymes SOD and Catalase with potent free radical scavenging activity.
Our study demonstrated that SCME has significant antiproliferative activity against human breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 and showed features of apoptotic cell death. Thus, S. chirata can be an enthusiastic target for researchers to exploit its potential as a natural treatment of breast cancer.
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