Leaf extracts from Chromolaena odorata and Euphorbia hirta suppress the growth of colorectal and bile duct cancer cells
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Abstract
There is growing interest in the use of medicinal plants as alternative treatments for various diseases, including cancer, due to their diverse bioactive compounds and a perception of potentially lower toxicity compared to some synthetic drugs. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity of extracts from Chromolaena odorata and Euphorbia hirta leaves against colorectal cancer (Caco-2) and bile duct cancer (KKU-213A) cell lines. Water and ethanol were used as extraction solvents, resulting in four types of extracts: Ch.o-W, Ch.o-EtOH, Eu.h-W, and Eu.h-EtOH. The total phenolic content differed significantly among the four extracts (P < 0.05), with Ch.o-EtOH showing the highest total phenolic content (7.18 ± 0.39 mg GAE/g DW), followed by Eu.h-EtOH (4.16 ± 0.20 mg GAE/g DW), Ch.o-W (3.16 ± 0.43 mg GAE/g DW), and Eu.h-W (1.95 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g DW). All extracts exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic effects. The IC50 values for Caco-2 ranged from 0.58 to 1.51 mg/mL and for KKU-213A from 0.65 to 1.42 mg/mL. For the normal oral keratinocyte cell line (NOK-SI), IC50 values ranged from 1.03 to >2.5 mg/mL. In conclusion, extracts from C. odorata and E. hirta demonstrated inhibitory effects on colorectal cancer and bile duct cancer cells and tended to exhibit greater cytotoxicity toward cancer cells than normal cells, with differences in inhibitory activity depending on the extraction solvent. These findings suggest that both plant extracts have potential as sources of bioactive compounds for the development of anticancer agents. However, further studies are warranted to optimize extraction processes, identify key active compounds, elucidate mechanisms of action, and validate efficacy and safety through in vivo and clinical studies.
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References
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