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    Article

    Cytotoxic Activity of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. on Human Cervical Cancer (HeLa) Cells

    José Angel Santiago‑Cruz1★, Jesús Arrieta1, Jazmín García‑Machorro2, Daniel Arrieta‑Baez3, María Elena Sánchez-Mendoza1★ Corresponding author

    1. 1Laboratorio De Farmacología De Plantas Medicinales Mexicanas, Escuela Superior De Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
    2. 2Laboratorio De Medicina De Conservación, Escuela Superior De Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
    3. 3Instituto Politécnico Nacional‑CNMN, Ciudad De México, México.

    CORRESPONDENCE

    José Angel Santiago‑Cruz

    Laboratorio De Farmacología De Plantas Medicinales Mexicanas, Escuela Superior De Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional.

    mesmendoza@hotmail.com

    Received: 13-03-2019; Revised: 22-04-2019.

    Volume 15, Issue 65 · pp. 631–637 · PUBLISHED 19 September 2019 · DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_106_19

    View on Pharmacogn. Mag. original site ↗

    ABSTRACT

    Objective: The aim of the present study was to carry out a bioassay‑guided fractionation of Rauvolfia tetraphylla leaves to evaluate the activity on cervical cancer (HeLa) and normal cells. Materials and Methods: Of hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts, hexane extract showed the most cytotoxic activity. Its most active fraction was characterized by mass spectrometry and assessed for cytotoxicity (by 3‑(4,5‑dimethyl‑2‑thiazolyl)‑2,5‑diphenyl‑2H‑tetrazolium bromide assays and trypan blue staining) on cervical cancer (HeLa) cells, normal human (HaCat) cells, and other cancer cell lines: A549, Caco‑2, MDA‑MB‑231, and MCF7. Cisplatin served as the reference drug. Apoptosis was explored as a possible mechanism of action by examining DNA fragmentation and phosphatidylserine translocation. Results: The active fraction, composed of at least 5 constituents, was cytotoxic to all cancer cell lines, especially HeLa cells (IC30 = 20.10 ± 1.1 μg/mL). To a lesser extent, it was also cytotoxic to normal cells (HaCat; IC30 = 40.04 ± 12.78 μg/mL), indicating certain selectivity. Its mechanism of action in HeLa cells involved apoptosis. Conclusion: The active fraction of the hexane extract of R. tetraphylla was cytotoxic to cancer cells and did not produce excessive damage to normal cells. Apoptosis was apparently part of the mechanism of cytotoxicity.

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      Santiago‑Cruz, J. A., Arrieta, J., García‑Machorro, J., Arrieta‑Baez, D., & Sánchez-Mendoza, M. E. (2019). Cytotoxic Activity of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. on Human Cervical Cancer (HeLa) Cells. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 15(65), 631–637. https://doi.org/10.4103/pm.pm_106_19