title: Evaluation of anticancer potential of Bacopa monnieri L. against MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cell line.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri contains bacoside A and B, brahmin, cucurbitacins, and betulinic acid. Currently, cucurbitacins have also been reported for their strong anti-tumorigenic and anti-proliferative activity by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and formation of multiplied cells. The present study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic activity of ethanolic extract of dichloromethane (DCM) fraction of B. monnieri on two different cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ethanolic extract of B. monnieri was prepared using soxhlet extraction method and different fractions (hexane, DCM, methanol, acetone, and water) of ethanolic extracts were prepared. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay of ethanolic extract and of all fractions was carried out on MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cell lines. The presence of cucurbitacins and betulinic acid in these fractions was confirmed by high-performance thin layer chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IC50 values of ethanolic extract of B. monnieri in MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cell lines were 72.0 μg/mL and 75.0 μg/mL, respectively. The DCM fraction of B. monnieri showed maximum cytotoxic activity among all fraction upto 72 h and was found to be 57.0 μg/mL and 42.0 μg/mL, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed good cytotoxic activity in DCM fraction in both the cell lines may be due to the presence of cucurbitacins and betulinic acid in DCM fraction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi, India ; Department of Biotechnology, Human Genetics Laboratory, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Md Nasar
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mallick
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Human Genetics Laboratory, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Md Salman
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Human Genetics Laboratory, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mohd Zeeshan
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Najm
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Tamboli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sayeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Human Genetics Laboratory, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Syed Akhtar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Husain
keywords: Bacoside; MCF-7; MDA-MB 231 cells; betulinic acid; cucurbitacins