Anticancer Potential of Damnacanthal and Nordamnacanthal from Morinda elliptica Roots on T-lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells

Background: This study reports on the cytotoxic properties of nordamnacanthal and damnacanthal, isolated from roots of Morinda elliptica on T-lymphoblastic leukaemia (CEM-SS) cell lines. Methods: MTT assay, DNA fragmentation, ELISA and cell cycle analysis were carried out. Results: Nordamnacanthal and damnacanthal at IC50 values of 1.7 μg/mL and10 μg/mL, respectively. At the molecular level, these compounds caused internucleosomal DNA cleavage producing multiple 180–200 bp fragments that are visible as a “ladder” on the agarose gel. This was due to the activation of the Mg2+/Ca2+-dependent endonuclease. The induction of apoptosis by nordamnacanthal was different from the one induced by damnacanthal, in a way that it occurs independently of ongoing transcription process. Nevertheless, in both cases, the process of dephosphorylation of protein phosphates 1 and 2A, the ongoing protein synthesis and the elevations of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration were not needed for apoptosis to take place. Nordamnacanthal was found to have a cytotoxic effect by inducing apoptosis, while damnacanthal caused arrest at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Conclusion: Damnacanthal and nordamnacanthal have anticancer properties, and could act as potential treatment for T-lymphoblastic leukemia.

Brine Shrimp Cytotoxic Activity of Morinda elliptica Leaves and Root Crude Extracts

This survey was conducted to test for in vivo Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA) of Morinda elliptica leaves and root extract after successive maceration in four solvents (n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) ethyl acetate and methanol) and cytotoxicity was evaluated in terms of LC50 (lethality concentration). 10 nauplii were placed in different concentrations (in three replicates each) of the plant extracts, after 24 hours the surviving brine shrimp larvae were counted and LC50 was assessed. The result of the survey showed a concentration dependent increment in mortality rate of the brine shrimp nauplii and n-hexane and methanol fractions of the leaves and root extracts were more potent against the brine shrimp with LC50 values of 35.483 ppm and 39.259 ppm (μg/ml) respectively, whereas ethyl acetate of both the extracts exhibited lower potent activity with LC50 values 62.250 ppm and 102.250 ppm (μg/ml) in roots and leaves respectively. These findings indicated that bioactive ingredients are present in the plants that could account for its pharmacological effects.