Cytotoxicity of Astragalus hamosus Phenolic Compounds on Cancer Cell Lines AMJ13 and SK-GT-4

Abstract

Abstract Astragalus hamosus L. is a globally used herb for treating various diseases. This work was conducted to find out the cytotoxicity effects of phenolic compounds isolated from Astragalus hamosus root (PAR) to introduce a substitute approach in treating breast cancer and oesophageal cancer. Herein, the determination of the antioxidant activity the PAR extract was performed using the method of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) employing ascorbic acid as positive antioxidant control. Moreover, its toxicity on liver and kidneys of albino mice was assessed. The acute cytotoxicity of PAR extract was studied in mice model in addition to two cell lines AMJ13 and SK-GT-4 representing breast and oesophageal cancers, respectively using an MTT assay. The finding of this study indicated that the PAR extract demonstrated improved antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the results revealed no death or behavioral changes among the treated animals. Interestingly, the liver and kidney tissues of treated animals displayed normal features. Markedly, the PAR extract exerted a noteworthy cytotoxic activity against both studied cell lines with IC50 of 1.807 and 6.581 μg/ml, respectively. The constituents of the PAR extract provide significant protection against the presence of anticancer activity. In conclusion, PAR extract may replace the traditional treatment policy of cancer once it fully studied in terms of other pharmacological investigations.