Cytotoxicity against four cell lines of human cancer by the fractionated extract of Dovyalis caffra, exhibiting high oxylipin signature, and by jasmine oil

Abstract

The methanol extract of Dovyalis caffra branches has been recommended by us, in a previous work, for further work on the bases of exhibiting promising in vitro cytotoxicity against four cell lines of human cancer namely: breast (MCF-7), colon (HCT-116), hepatocellular (HepG2) and lung (A-549) carcinomas. On further fractionation of the crude extract, the aqueous methanol fraction showed low LC₅₀ as well as evident selectivity index (SI) values towards the four carcinoma cell lines mentioned above. This fraction (aqueous methanol) was subjected to GC/MS analysis to elucidate its constituting phytochemicals. The results showed that the majority of these constituents represented oxygenated fatty acid- derived oxylipins that are assumed to furnish the hexa- and octa- decanoid pathways of jasmonate (JA) biosynthesis. The LC₅₀ and SI values were also determined for investigating possible effects of pure jasmine oil against the four carcinoma cell lines under study. The results showed pronounced anticancer activities of jasmine oil, particularly with hepatic and breast cell lines.