In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review
In African countries, cancer not only is a growing problem, but also a challenge because available funding and resources are limited. Therefore, African medicinal plants play a significant role in folk medicine and some of them are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. The high mortality r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Molecules |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/15/4989 |
| _version_ | 1827602020319625216 |
|---|---|
| author | Isabel Canga Pedro Vita Ana Isabel Oliveira María Ángeles Castro Cláudia Pinho |
| author_facet | Isabel Canga Pedro Vita Ana Isabel Oliveira María Ángeles Castro Cláudia Pinho |
| author_sort | Isabel Canga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In African countries, cancer not only is a growing problem, but also a challenge because available funding and resources are limited. Therefore, African medicinal plants play a significant role in folk medicine and some of them are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. The high mortality rate and adverse effects associated with cancer treatments have encouraged the search for novel plant-based drugs, thus, some African plants have been studied in recent years as a source of molecules with proven cytotoxicity. This review aims to discuss the cytotoxic activity, in vitro, of African plant crude extracts against cancer cell lines. For the period covered by this review (2017–2021) twenty-three articles were found and analyzed, which included a total of 105 plants, where the main cell lines used were those of breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MBA-231) and colorectal cancer (HCT-116 and Caco-2), which are among the most prevalent cancers in Africa. In these studies, the plant crude extracts were obtained using different solvents, such as ethanol, methanol, or water, with variable results and IC<sub>50</sub> values ranging from <20 µg/mL to >200 µg/mL. Water is the preferred solvent for most healers in African countries, however, in some studies, the aqueous extracts were the least potent. Apoptosis and the induction of cell cycle arrest may explain the cytotoxic activity seen in many of the plant extracts studied. Considering that the criteria of cytotoxicity activity for the crude extracts, as established by the American National Cancer Institute (NCI), is an IC<sub>50</sub> < 30 μg/mL, we conclude that many extracts from the African flora could be a promising source of cytotoxic agents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:09:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0da7a1b3010640c5ba5dffd21e8af9b9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:09:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-0da7a1b3010640c5ba5dffd21e8af9b92023-12-03T12:50:55ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492022-08-012715498910.3390/molecules27154989In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A ReviewIsabel Canga0Pedro Vita1Ana Isabel Oliveira2María Ángeles Castro3Cláudia Pinho4School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESS–P. Porto), 4200-072 Porto, PortugalHigher Polytechnic School Kwanza Norte, Kimpa Vita University, Uige 77, AngolaSchool of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESS–P. Porto), 4200-072 Porto, PortugalDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, CIETUS, IBSAL, Pharmacy Faculty, University of Salamanca (USAL), 37007 Salamanca, SpainSchool of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESS–P. Porto), 4200-072 Porto, PortugalIn African countries, cancer not only is a growing problem, but also a challenge because available funding and resources are limited. Therefore, African medicinal plants play a significant role in folk medicine and some of them are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. The high mortality rate and adverse effects associated with cancer treatments have encouraged the search for novel plant-based drugs, thus, some African plants have been studied in recent years as a source of molecules with proven cytotoxicity. This review aims to discuss the cytotoxic activity, in vitro, of African plant crude extracts against cancer cell lines. For the period covered by this review (2017–2021) twenty-three articles were found and analyzed, which included a total of 105 plants, where the main cell lines used were those of breast cancer (MCF-7 and MDA-MBA-231) and colorectal cancer (HCT-116 and Caco-2), which are among the most prevalent cancers in Africa. In these studies, the plant crude extracts were obtained using different solvents, such as ethanol, methanol, or water, with variable results and IC<sub>50</sub> values ranging from <20 µg/mL to >200 µg/mL. Water is the preferred solvent for most healers in African countries, however, in some studies, the aqueous extracts were the least potent. Apoptosis and the induction of cell cycle arrest may explain the cytotoxic activity seen in many of the plant extracts studied. Considering that the criteria of cytotoxicity activity for the crude extracts, as established by the American National Cancer Institute (NCI), is an IC<sub>50</sub> < 30 μg/mL, we conclude that many extracts from the African flora could be a promising source of cytotoxic agents.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/15/4989in vitrocytotoxicityAfrican plantscancercell lines |
| spellingShingle | Isabel Canga Pedro Vita Ana Isabel Oliveira María Ángeles Castro Cláudia Pinho In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review Molecules in vitro cytotoxicity African plants cancer cell lines |
| title | In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review |
| title_full | In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review |
| title_fullStr | In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review |
| title_short | In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of African Plants: A Review |
| title_sort | in vitro cytotoxic activity of african plants a review |
| topic | in vitro cytotoxicity African plants cancer cell lines |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/15/4989 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT isabelcanga invitrocytotoxicactivityofafricanplantsareview AT pedrovita invitrocytotoxicactivityofafricanplantsareview AT anaisabeloliveira invitrocytotoxicactivityofafricanplantsareview AT mariaangelescastro invitrocytotoxicactivityofafricanplantsareview AT claudiapinho invitrocytotoxicactivityofafricanplantsareview |