Methanolic fraction of Cassia fistula L. bark exhibits potential to combat oxidative stress and possess antiproliferative activity

• Published in: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A Vol. 86; no. 9; pp. 296 - 312
• Main Authors: Kour, Rasdeep, Sharma, Neha, Showkat, Sheikh, Sharma, Sunil, Nagaiah, Kommu, Kumar, Subodh, Kaur, Satwinderjeet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 03.05.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Antineoplastic Agents; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; antiproliferative; Bioassays; Cancer; cancer cell lines; Carcinoma; Cassia; Cassia fistula; Cassia fistula L; Catechin; Chloroform; Chlorogenic acid; Comet assay; Cytotoxicity; Damage detection; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA damage; Dry weight; Electrophoresis; Equivalence; Ethyl acetate; Flavonoids; Fungicides; Gallic acid; Gel electrophoresis; genoprotective; Glioblastoma; Hexanes; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Inflammation; Kaempferol; Lymphocytes; Methanol; Nitric oxide; Oxidative Stress; Pancreatic carcinoma; Pharmacology; Phenols; Phenols - analysis; Plant Bark - chemistry; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; polyphenols; Rutin; Scavenging; Toxicity; Tumor cell lines; Wound healing; polyphenols; comet assay; antioxidants; genoprotective; hydrogen peroxide; Cassia fistula L; cancer cell lines; antiproliferative; oxidative stress
• ISSN: 1528-7394; 1087-2620; 2381-3504
• DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2023.2189435

Cassia fistula L. is well known for its traditional medicinal properties as an anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antifungal, antibacterial, antimutagenic, and wound healing agent. The aim of the present study was to determine antioxidant, genoprotective, and cytotoxic potential of different fractions of C. fistula bark including hexane (CaMH), chloroform (CaMC), ethyl acetate (CaME), and methanol (CaMM). Among all the fractions studied, CaMM exhibited maximal radical scavenging activity in antioxidant DPPH assay, Superoxide anion radical scavenging assay and nitric oxide radical scavenging assay displayed an IC 50 value of 18.95, 29.41, and 13.38 µg/ml, respectively. CaMM fraction possessed the highest phenolic (130.37 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight of extract) and flavonoid (36.96 mg rutin equivalent/g dry weight of fraction) content. Data demonstrated significant positive correlation between polyphenol levels and radical scavenging activity. Single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) exhibited genoprotective potential of C. fistula bark fractions against DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in human lymphocytes. CaMM fraction displayed highest protective ability against H 2 O 2 induced-toxicity as evidenced by significant decrease in % tail DNA content from 30 to 7% at highest concentration (200 µg/ml). CaMM was found to be rich in catechin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and kaempferol. The phenolic content and antioxidant ability of the fractions was markedly negatively correlated with H 2 O 2 - induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Cytotoxic potential was evaluated against dermal epidermoid carcinoma (A431), pancreatic (MIA PaCa-2) and brain glioblastoma (LN-18) cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Results showed that C. fistula bark fractions possessed highest toxicity against the skin carcinoma cells. CaMM fraction reduced over 50% cell growth at the concentration of 76.72 µg/ml in A431 cells. These findings suggest that fractions of C. fistula bark exhibit potential to be considered as therapeutic agents in various carcinomas.