Abstract

APOPTOTIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA ROOT BARK ON HUMAN MYELOID LEUKEMIA CELLS VIA ACTIVATION OF CASPASE CASCADE

Subhadeep Roy, Nilanjana Deb, Santanu Basu, Shila Elizabeth Besra*

ABSTRACT

Identification of cytotoxic compounds that induce apoptosis has been the mainstay of anti-cancer therapeutics. The plant Moringa oleifera Lam. (family: Moringaceae) is widely used in Indian traditional medicine as a broad spectrum medicine. The ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera root bark (EMORB) and its fraction F1 & F2 showed significant anti-leukemic activity in human leukemic cell lines with EMORB- IC50 of 30.22μg/ ml, and 28.29μg/ml, F1-9.73μg/ ml, and 10.23μg/ml and F2-8.56μg/ ml, and 9.12μg/ml in U937 & K562 cell lines respectively. EMORB treated leukemic cells showed chromatin condensation, apoptotic body formation and increased Caspase 9 and 3 production indicating apoptosis. Confocal microscopy images showed externalization of phosphatidylserine from inner leaflet to outer leaflet of the cell membrane in EMORB treated both the human myeloid leukemic cell lines. Flow Cytometric analysis showed appreciablenumber of cells in early apoptotic stage and the cells cycle study revealed that leukemic cells accumulated in the G0/G1 phase as well as in G2/M phase; the cell cycle was halted in this phase and the DNA content decreased in other phases. The results obtained indicate that root bark extract of Moringa oleifera plant and its fractions possess potent anti-leukemic activity against U937 & K562 cell lines

Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Root Bark, Myeloid, Apoptosis, Caspase.