Investigation of Proapoptotic Potential of Ipomoea carnea Leaf Extract on Breast Cancer Cell Line

Abstract

Cancer remains to be a major global healthcare burden as 18.1 million new cases and 96 million death occurred 2018 on the basis of report from the international agency for research on cancer Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women causing the highest morbidity. Ipomoea carnea leaf extracts have been used as a chemotherapeutic agent due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor effect. The aim of the study is to evaluate the proapoptotic potential of Ipomoea carnea leaf extract on breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7). The proapoptotic potential of Ipomoea carnea leaf extract was assessed using an MTT assay. The cell morphological changes in Ipomoea carnea leaf extract-treated cells were observed under a phase-contrast microscope. The proapoptotic effect of Ipomoea carnea leaf extract was examined using DAPI staining. The MTT assay results showed a significant reduction in the viability of breast cancer cells after treatment with different concentrations of Ipomoea carnea leaf extract (5-80 µg/ml) for 24h. We observed the inhibitory concentration at 20 μg/ml. Morphological changes such as reduction in the number of cells, cell shrinkage, and cytoplasmic membrane blebbing indicate the hallmark features of apoptosis were observed in Ipomoea carnea leaf extract-treated cells. DAPI staining results showed that apoptotic nuclei are stained intensely, fragmented, and have condensation chromatin in treated cells. Therefore it can be concluded that Ipomoea carnea leaf extracts have a pro-apoptotic potential in the breast cell cancer lines (MCF-7). Keywords: Ipomoea carnea, Breast cancer, MCF-7, Apoptosis