Cytotoxic Activity of Ecballium elaterium Against Various Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic effects of Ecballium elaterium, known as squirting cucumber or exploding cucumber among the people, against some cancer cell lines. E. elaterium has been used as a drug against many diseases since the ancient Egyptians. The cytotoxic effects of fruits and leaves extracts of E. elaterium against malignant melanoma (SK-MEL-30), colon (CACO-2), breast (MCF-7), and non-small cell lung (H1299) cancerous cell lines were evaluated by the MTT test. Toxicity of the fruits and leaves extracts of E. elaterium were also tested on the mouse fibroblast cell line (L929). As a result, fruits and leaves extracts of E. elaterium showed weak cytotoxic activity against the SK-MEL-30 cell lines, while moderate cytotoxic activity against H1299 cell lines, and high cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 cell lines. Against the CACO-2 cell line, however, it was observed that both extracts had no cytotoxic effects. Also, fruit extracts exhibited higher cytotoxic activity than leaf extracts.

Keywords

• Ecballium elaterium
• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Cytotoxic activity

Ecballium elaterium’un Farklı Kanser Hücre Hatlarına Karşı Sitotoksik Aktivitesi

Abstract

Bu çalışma kapsamında, halk arasında acı kavun olarak bilinen Ecballium elaterium’un, bazı kanser hücre hatlarına karşı sitotoksik etkilerinin araştırılması hedeflenmiştir. Eski Mısırlılar döneminden beri tanınan bir drog olan E. elaterium birçok hastalığa karşı kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışmada ise son derece saldırgan ve tedavisi bulunmayan malign melanoma (SK-MEL-30), kolon kanseri (CACO-2), meme kanseri (MCF-7) ve küçük hücreli olmayan akciğer kanseri (H1299) hücre hatlarına karşı E. elaterium’un meyve ve yaprak ekstrelerinin sitotoksik etkileri MTT testi ile değerlendirilmiştir. E. elaterium’un meyve ve yaprak ekstreleri aynı zamanda sağlıklı fare fibroblast hücre hattı (L929) üzerinde denenmiştir. Sonuç olarak; E. elaterium’un meyve ve yaprak ekstreleri; SK-MEL-30 hücre hattına karşı zayıf, H1299 hücre hattına karşı orta, MCF-7 hücre hattına karşı yüksek sitotoksik aktivite sergilemiştir. CACO-2 hücre hattına karşı ise her iki ekstrenin de toksik bir etkisi olmadığı gözlemlenmiştir. Ayrıca, meyve ekstrelerinin yaprak ekstrelerinden daha yüksek sitotoksik aktivite sergilediği tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

• Ecballium elaterium
• meme kanseri
• akciğer kanseri
• sitotoksik aktivite

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