Cytotoxic activity of Cyrtostachys renda extracts and fractions against MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cells through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction mechanism.

In traditional medicine, Cyrtostachys renda has been used for its many bioactive components that are good for people's health. This research assessed the cytotoxic effects of extracts and fractions against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) cell lines. The extracts and fractions of root and fruit assess cytotoxic activities and inhibitory mechanisms against the MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cell lines, respectively. The fruit and roots of C. renda were extracted using the liquid-liquid method. The sample concentrations evaluated included extracts 31.5-1000 μg/mL, fractions 15.625-500 μg/mL, and doxorubicin 2-0.0625 μg/mL. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on MCF-7 and HeLa cells using an MTT assay. Morphological alterations were subsequently discovered utilizing an inverted microscope. Flow cytometry was utilized to find out the cell cycle's distribution and the apoptosis characteristics. The different parts and extracts showed cytotoxic effects on HeLa and MCF-7 cells, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 30.69 ± 0.47 to 787.89 ± 1.77 µg/mL. Cell cycle studies showed that fraction A4 inhibited the cell cycle in MCF-7 cells at the G1 phase followed by the G2/M and S phases, while fraction B5 inhibited the cell cycle in HeLa cells at the G2/M phase. Both fractions showed the ability to induce apoptosis against MCF-7 and HeLa cells. The results showed that the fractions A4 and B5 showed cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and HeLa cells by cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction.