(Natural News) In this study, researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia examined the antioxidant effect, glucose uptake activity in cell lines, and the cytotoxicity of the leaf extract of Melicope lunu-ankenda (ML) or Euodia lunuankenda, a plant native to tropical Asia. Their findings were published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine.
- The researchers used two different cell lines: 3t3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells for the experiment.
- They used ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the ML leaf extract.
- They used 2-NBDG, a fluorescent indicator, to determine the effect of the leaf extract on glucose uptake.
- They used (3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) MTT assay to assess its cytotoxicity on the two cell lines.
- They found that the 60 percent ethanolic ML extract had the highest antioxidant activity, and it contained 354 milligrams (mg) gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/ gram (g) dry weight (DW) of total phenolics and 313 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/ g DW of flavonoid.
- The ML extract also stimulated the fluorescent 2-NBDG uptakes by both cell lines; glucose uptake increased in a dose-dependent way.
- The ML extract showed high cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells but was ineffective against the 3t3-L1 cell line, suggesting potent but selective anticancer activity.
These results demonstrated that ML is a medicinal plant that has both antidiabetic and anticancer properties.
Journal Reference:
Al-Zuaidy MH, Ismail A, Mohamed S, Razis AFA, Mumtaz MW, Hamid AA. ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT, GLUCOSE UPTAKE ACTIVITY IN CELL LINES AND CYTOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF MELICOPE LUNU-ANKENDA LEAF EXTRACT. Journal of Herbal Medicine. December 2018;14:55–60. DOI: 10.1016/j.hermed.2018.06.002
