title: Cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extract of leaves and rhizomes of Curcuma amada Roxb against breast cancer cell lines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the methanol extract of both the leaves and the rhizomes of Curcuma amada (C. amada) for their cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA MB 231.
  
  
  METHODS
  Viability and cytotoxicity induced by the extracts were assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, sulforhodamine B, and lactate dehydrogenase release assays. Various staining techniques such as acridine orange/ethidium bromide, Giemsa, ethidium bromide, propidium iodide, and Hoechst 33342 staining were employed to study the mechanism of cell death induced by the extract.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that the methanol extract of both the leaves and the rhizomes of C. amada exhibited strong cytotoxicity towards breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA MB 231. The extract also showed less cytotoxicity towards non-cancerous breast cell line HBL-100. The results of staining revealed that the extracts induced cell death in cancer cells which are mediated through apoptotic pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that the methanol extract of leaves and rhizomes of C. amada possess anticancer and cytotoxic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, K.S. Rangasamy college of Arts and Science, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Sivaprabha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jambunathan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore 641 043, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Dharani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bangarusamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore 641 043, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Palghat Raghunathan
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Padma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, K.S. Rangasamy college of Arts and Science, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: sumathi_vnktsh@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Sumathi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundaravadivelu
keywords: Apoptosis; Cancer; Cell lines; Curcuma amada; Cytotoxicity; Viability