Anticancer activities and safety evaluation of selected Kenyan plant extracts against breast cancer cell lines

Breast cancer is a leading cause of deaths among women suffering from cancer in Kenya. The current study was done to determine anticancer activities of medicinal plant extracts against breast cancer cell lines (HCC 1395 and 4T1). Vero cells were used for evaluation of safety of extracts. Thiazoly blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used in this study. Reference drugs were 5 fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide. Extract concentrations that inhibited growth of cell growth by half (IC50) were estimated using GraphPad prism version 7 and 90 % of extracts showed anticancer activities. Methanol extracts of Uvariodendron anisatum, Fagaropsis angolensis, Combretum tanaense, Hydnora abyssinica and water extract of F. angolensis exhibited remarkable anticancer activities (IC50E‚ 30 µg/ml). Methanol extracts of F. angolensis and H. abyssinica demonstrated high selectivity index (SI ≥3). Evaluation for safety, indicated that about 64% of the extracts under this study were non-toxic (CC50 Eƒ100 µg/ml). Findings from plants in this study support folklore claims. Phytochemical analysis, bioassay guided fractionation and toxicity studies are underway on extracts of C. tanaense, F. angolensis, H. abyssinica and U. anisatum. Key words: 4TI, ethnomedicine, HCC 1395, IC50 values, medicinal plants, MTT assay, selectivity index, vero E6