title: Antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of hexane extract of Morinda pubescens leaves in human liver cancer cell line.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of hexane extract of Morinda pubescens leaves and to find the primary bioactive compound responsible for antioxidant and cytotoxic activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The individual compounds were isolated using column chromatography and were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. The antioxidant activity was evaluated for all individual isolated compounds by DPPH method using L-Ascorbic acid as standard and cytotoxicity was assessed for the extract and the hyoscyamine by MTT assay, caspase test and RT-PCR study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The antioxidant activity of the isolated compounds and the extract increased as the concentration increased. One of the isolated compound hyoscyamine showed the high antioxidant activity. The extract and the hyoscyamine dose-dependently decreased the cell viability in HepG2 cells. Hyoscyamine induced caspase-3 mediated apoptosis. Up regulation of p53 gene expression provides cue for apoptotic activity of hyoscyamine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that hexane extract possessed potent antioxidant and cytotoxic activity and hyoscyamine is the principal bioactive compound in hexane extract.
authors.affiliation: P.G & Research Department of Chemistry, Auxilium College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: D Jaya
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R Jaya
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Santhi
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001285:Atropine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002845:Chromatography; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D032066:Morinda; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001285:Atropine; D053148:Caspase 3