Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the cytotoxicity and apoptotic activity of the human clinical formulation of Semecarpus anacardium (SA) nut milk extract known as Bhallathaka ksheerapaka on Dalton's Lymphoma Ascites cells, in comparison to cisplatin. Phytochemical analysis of SA nut milk yielded protein, carbohydrates, phenols, terpenoids, glycosides and saponins. MTT assay revealed the mean percent cell inhibition at the test concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640 μg/mL to range from 26.052 ±0.01 to 70.909 ±0.13 for SA nut milk extract and from 29.129 ±0.13 to 80.902 ±0.05 for cisplatin, respectively. The IC50 estimates of SA and cisplatin were 54.01 μg/mL and 65.44 µg/mL respectively. Trypan blue dye exclusion revealed the mean percent cell viability as 50.33±1.93 and 55.17 ±0.01 for SA nut milk extract and cisplatin respectively. The mean percent cell viability and inhibition differed significantly (p<0.01) in comparable range between the extract and cisplatin at IC50 as well as at any given concentration. At any given point of time, apoptosis was faster in the SA-treated cells than the cisplatin-treated cells. The results indicated that Bhallathaka ksheerapaka induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in DLA cells to a comparable extent with cisplatin and hence anti-neoplastic against lymphomas.

Keywords : Semecarpus anacardium, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, anti-neoplastic