Bioprospecting the Anticancer Efficacy of <i>Garcinia anomala</i> from North-East India in Ovarian Cancer Cells – An <i>In Vitro</i> Study

Abstract

Background: Ovarian cancer is a type of gynaecological cancer with a worldwide prevalence affecting women aged above 50. Despite several advances made in chemotherapy and surgery, the average time of clinical exemption is approximately two years, and the 5-year survival rate is 45%. But even after survival, they have long-term side effects. So, there is an urgent need for natural anticancer drugs. In this context, Garcinia spp. is one such plant that is explored for its anticancer properties. However, the endemic species Garcinia anomala from North-East India has not been studied for anticancer efficacy. Thereby present study aimed to understand the anticancer efficacy of hexane and methanol extracts of Garcinia anomola short mamilla plant available in the North-East region of India with a major emphasis on antioxidant potential. Further, the best extract with higher antioxidant activity was used to evaluate the anticancer potential through modulation of redox status. Methods: Total phenolic content in extract samples was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assay was used to assess the antioxidant activities of extracts. For in vitro evaluation of the anticancer potential of the extract, ovarian teratocarcinoma PA1 cells were used as a model to study the dose-dependent effect of the extract. Various assays, such as wound healing assay and transcriptional analysis of genes, such as Bcl-2, PCNA, and TP53, were performed. For the redox parameter, DCFDA (2’,7’-Dichlorofluoroscin Diacetate) assay was used. Results: The results showed that Garcinia anomola methanol extract (EB) exhibited higher antioxidant activity in comparison to the hexane extract (EA). A cytotoxicity assay was performed to find the effective IC50. From this assay, the effective dose concentration confirmed for EA was 40 µg/mL, EB was 20 µg/mL, and the time point selected was 24 hrs. As the IC50 for EB was less than EA, EB was chosen for further assays. From the wound healing assay, the migration rate obtained was 0.967±0.041 µm/hr. The methanol extract was found to affect key cell cycle checkpoint genes at the transcript level. Conclusion: These results indicate that the anticancer potential is mediated through the modulation of antioxidant status. Thus, Garcinia anomala short mamilla extract from northeast India has good efficacy as an anticancer agent, which can be considered as a future potent drug candidate for ovarian cancer.