Preprint / Version 1

In vitro anticancer screening of 24 locally used Nigerian medicinal plants

Authors

  • Saudat Fadeyi Department of Biological Sciences, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37217, USA
  • Olugbeminiyi Fadeyi Department of Chemistry, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37217, USA
  • Adedeji Adejumo Department of Wildlife and Eco-tourism Management, Federal College of Wildlife Management, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria
  • Cosmas Okoro Department of Chemistry, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37217, USA
  • Elbert Myles Department of Biological Sciences, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37217, USA

Keywords:

Nigeria, Anti-cancer, Ethnomedicine, Cytotoxic activity

Abstract

Plants that are used as traditional medicine represent a relevant pool for selecting plant candidates that may have anticancer properties. In this study, the ethnomedicinal approach was used to select several medicinal plants native to Nigeria, on the basis of their local or traditional uses. The collected plants were then evaluated for cytoxicity. Methods The antitumor activity of methanolic extracts obtained from 24 of the selected plants, were evaluated in vitro on five human cancer cell lines. Results Results obtained from the plants screened indicate that 18 plant extracts of folk medicine exhibited promising cytotoxic activity against human carcinoma cell lines. Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan was found to demonstrate potent anti-cancer activity in this study exhibiting IC50 = 0.2-1.3 μg/ml. Conclusions Based on the significantly potent activity of some plants extracts reported here, further studies aimed at mechanism elucidation and bio-guided isolation of active anticancer compounds is currently underway. Keywords: Nigeria, Anti-cancer, Ethnomedicine, Cytotoxic activity

Author Biographies

Saudat Fadeyi, Department of Biological Sciences, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37217, USA

Department of Internal Medicine Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D. B. Todd, Jr. Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208, USA

Olugbeminiyi Fadeyi, Department of Chemistry, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37217, USA

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

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