Anticancer Potential of The Leaf Extracts of Breonadia salicina Hepper and J. R. I. Wood (Rubiaceae) On Ht-29 Cancer Cell Line

Anticancer Potential of The Leaf Extracts of Breonadia salicina Hepper and J. R. I. Wood (Rubiaceae) On Ht-29 Cancer Cell Line

Uwaisu Iliyasu*1, Sani Shehu1, YahayaYakubu2, Ja’afaru Sani and Hammada Sani4

 

  1. Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Kaduna State University, Kaduna-Nigeria.
  2. Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Science, Kaduna State University, Kaduna-Nigeria.
  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Science, Kaduna State University, Kaduna-Nigeria.
  4. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Kaduna State University, Kaduna-Nigeria

 

Key words:

Apoptosis, Cell cycle analysis, MTT assay, HT-29, Breonardia salicina

 

 

 

 

*Corresponding author: fabian.eze@unn.edu.ng;
DOI:https://doi.org/10.61594/tnpr.v6(2).2025.130

Page No: 153-163
Volume: 6, Issue 2, 2025
Trends in Natural Products Research
Copy Right: NAPREG

Abstract

Breonardia salicina is an evergreen plant commonly used across Nigeria and various African countries to treat ailments such as cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, fever, headache, arthritis, diabetes, inflamed wounds, and ulcers. This study investigated the anticancer properties of the leaf extracts of B. salicina. A 300 g portion of the dried, powdered leaves was extracted using 1 L of 95% ethanol through maceration. The resulting extract was filtered, concentrated to dryness, and fractionated using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The cytotoxic effects of the crude extract and its fractions on HT-29 cancer cells were assessed using MTT assay. Further analyses included fluorescence microscopy, apoptosis detection, and cell cycle profiling of the treated cells. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for the extract and its fractions ranged from 26 to 374.78 μg/mL, demonstrating selective cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells. Microscopic images indicated a dose-dependent occurrence of early and late apoptosis and necrosis. Flow cytometry confirmed the induction of apoptosis, and cell cycle analysis revealed altered distributions among the G0/G1, S, G2/M, and sub-G1 phases of the cell cycle. These findings suggest that B. salicina leaf extract triggers apoptosis in HT-29 cells.