Antioxidant efficacy and cytotoxicity of ethanol extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum against different cell lines

Abstract

Clerodendrum infortunatum belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is a perennial shrub. It is widely known for their important medicinal values among the Mizo tribe. In the present study, the preliminary phytochemical screening, quantification of phenols, flavonoids and alkaloids, antioxidant activities by DPPH, O2- and ABTS assays and cytotoxicityby MTT assay against AGS (gastric cancer), HeLa (cervical) and HT-29 (colon) cell lines compared with normal cell line (Chang liver) were performed. Furthermore, the GC-MS profiling was also conducted. The results imply the presence of saponin, alkaloid, cardiac glycoside, phenol and flavonoid. The quantification shows that phenol content (64.35 mg/ g) was highest followed by flavonoid (61.93 mg/ g) and alkaloid (13.33 mg/ g). Its scavenging efficiency against DPPH with IC50 value was 47.99, against O2- with IC50 was108 µg/mL and against ABTS cations with IC50 was 50.05 µg/mL, respectively. The ethanol extract exhibited a maximum cytotoxicity against HeLa with IC50 value of 53.55 µg/mL, AGS with IC50 value 82.44 µg/mL and HT-29 with IC50 value of 142.2 µg/mL. However, the extract showed comparatively less toxicity against normal cell lines. Moreover, 14 active compounds were confirmed in the GC-MS analysis of the extract. HPLC study also infers the occurrence of the flavonoids rutin and quercetin. Therefore, the results of C. infortunatum ethanolic extract clearly specified that it has a very high antioxidant activity as well as cytotoxic properties; which proved that this ethnomedicinal plant can be used as an alternative agent to treat a variety of illnesses.