title: Crude ethanol extract from babassu (Orbignya speciosa): cytotoxicity on tumoral and non-tumoral cell lines.
abstract: Plant-derived substances have been considered as important sources of drugs, including antineoplasic agents. Babassu mesocarp is popularly used in Brazil as a food additive, and in popular medicine against several conditions, such as inflammations, menstrual pains and leukaemia. From babassu Orbignya speciosa (Mart.) Barb. Rodr. [Arecaceae (Palmae)] epicarp/mesocarp, an ethanol extract was prepared and named OSEME, which was tested on the viability,morphology and metabolism of several cell lines, such as the leukaemic cell lines, HL-60, K562 and the latter multidrug resistant counterpart K562-Lucena 1, the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, the mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3-L1 and fresh human lymphocytes. OSEME promoted a dose-dependent decrease on the viability of all cells. This effect was much more pronounced on the tumoral cell lines than on non-tumoral cells, a phenomenon revealed by the dose of OSEME which promotes half of maximal effect (ID50). The decrease on viability was followed by shrinkage of cells, alteration on their morphology, and a markedly nuclear condensation. Curiously, stimulation of 6-phosphofructokinase activity (6.6-times) was observed on HL-60 cells, treated with OSEME, when compared to control treated with ethanol (vehicle). These results support evidences to suggest OSEME as a promising source of novel antineoplasic agents.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicamentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Magdalena N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rennó
authors.forename: Gleyce M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zancan
authors.forename: Venicio F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.forename: Celuta S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Alviano
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sola-Penna
authors.forename: Fábio S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holandino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol