Cytotoxicity study of Triphala and Ficus botryocarpa Miq

Abstract

Introduction: Liver cancer is mostly obstinate to chemotherapy as a result of tumor clever strategies, tumor heterogeneity, and the advance of multidrug resistance mechanism.  The intensely evolution of these survival phenotypes of tumor cell makes them tend to be more aggressive and extremely defend against chemotherapy. The Triphala is a traditional herbal formulation consisting equal parts of three medicinal plants.  Triphala has been shown to orchestrate the various biological activities such as anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and immudulatory property.  An ethnopharmacological use of Ficus species, have been reported to have anti-activity of malignant disease and inflammation.  However, role in anti liver cancer both of Triphala and Ficus botryocarpa Miq is poorly understood. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate cytotoxic of Ficus botryocarpa Miq and Triphala in human liver cancer HepG2 cell line potential use for and anti-liver cancer activity.  Material and methods:  Cytotoxic activities were screened by an in vitro assay system (MTT assay) of growth inhibition against human liver cancer cell line. This study was carried out to evaluate cytotoxic effects of the both extracts compared to doxorubicin in human liver cancer HepG2 cell line.  The extracts subjected to cytotoxicity evaluation against HepG2 cancer cell lines and normal cell lines (Vero cells) by MTT assay. Results: After treatment for 48 h, Ficus botryocarpa Miq  exhibited significant cytotoxicity against the HepG2 cell line and normal cell lines (Vero cells) with IC₅₀ values ranging from 132.46±25.38 and 258.23±37.74 μg/mL, respectively whereas Triphala showed strong cytotoxicity against the HepG2 cell line and Vero cells with IC₅₀ values ranging 67.93±3.87 and 338.63±40.77 μg/mL, respectively.  While Doxorubicin gave an IC₅₀ value of 0.99±0.20 μg/mL. Taken together these results the extracts of Ficus botryocarpa Miq and Triphala showed potent cytotoxic activity on HepG2 cells, but no cytotoxic activity on normal cells. Conclusion:  Our preliminary data revealed that the extracts from Ficus botryocarpa Miq and Triphala formulation may have a great potential to be exploited in the search of anti liver cancer drug.  It is further necessary for chemical characterization of the active principles and more extensive biological evaluations.