Induction of Apoptosis and Cytotoxic Activities of Apium graveolens Linn. Using in vitro Models

Chemoprevention, which includes the use of synthetic or natural agents (alone or in combination) to block the development of cancer in human beings, is an extremely promising strategy for cancer prevention. Apium graveolens seeds have been assessed for chemopreventive activity. The antiproliferative effect of the methanolic extract of Apium graveolens was evaluated in vitro on two human cell lines (DLA, Dalton’s lymphoma ascites; L929, Mouse lung fibroblast). The morphological effects of Apium graveolens treated L929 cancer cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope. Typical morphological changes including cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation and characteristic DNA ladder formation in agarose gel electrophoresis were observed. Antitumor screening by the short-term cytotoxicity study with DLA cells showed that the extracts exhibited a dose dependent inhibition of the growth. The extract was found to be cytotoxic towards L-929 cells in 72 hrs MTT assay and concentration required for 50% cell death was 3.85μg/ml. This study confirms that methanolic seed extract of Apium graveolens possess cytotoxicity and provoke DNA fragmentation, a sign of induction of apoptosis. Thus Apium graveolens may be a potential candidate in the field of anticancer drug discovery.