In vitro Anti-Proliferative Effect of Tephrosia purpurea on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

BACKGROUND Tephrosia purpurea is an Indian herb used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as jaundice, asthma, liver and urinary disorders. However, the anti-cancer potential of T. purpurea on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poorly understood. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the anti-cancer activity of T. purpurea in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. METHODS The leaves and root of T. purpurea were extracted with methanol using soxhlet apparatus. The cytotoxicity of the T. purpurea extracts in HepG2 cells was evaluated using MTT assay whereas the mode of cell death was examined by AOEB, Hoechst and JC1 staining under a fluorescence microscope. T. purpurea extracts-induced caspase-3 expression was investigated using colorimetric assay. RESULTS The leaves and root extracts inhibited HepG2 cell growth at the IC50 of 102.33 ± 10.26 µg/mL and 276.67 ± 20.43 µg/mL respectively at 24 h. Chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, apoptotic bodies formation and mitochondrial membrane depolarization were observed in HepG2 cells treated with both extracts. The caspase-3 expression was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in extracts treated cells when compared to control. CONCLUSION The leaves and root extracts of T. purpurea induce apoptosis mediated cell death in HepG2 cells. SUMMARY The leaves and root extracts of T. purpurea exhibited anticancer activity in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. These extracts induced cell shrinkage, DNA condensation and fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and upregulated caspase-3 expression indicating T. purpurea extracts induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Abbreviation used: AO: acridine orange, DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide, EB: ethidium bromide, IC50: the concentration at which 50% of cancer cells are dead, JC-1: 5, 5', 6, 6'-tetrachloro-1, 1', 3, 3'-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide, MTT: 3-4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl, 2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, PBS: phosphate-buffered saline, ΔΨm: mitochondrial trans-membrane potential.