Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

In vitro Anti-proliferative and Apoptotic Activities of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Simaroubaceae) on HL-60 Cell Line

Omar Saeed Ali Al-Salahi¹, Abdel-Hamid Zaki¹, Kit-Lam Chan², Amin Malik Shah², Faisal Al-Hassan¹, Wan Zaidah Abdullah³, Narazah Mohd Yusoff¹

¹Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 13200 Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang; ²School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM, 11800 Penang; ³Haematology Department, School of Medical Sciences, USM, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

For correspondence:- Narazah Yusoff Email: narazah@amdi.usm.edu.my Tel:+6045622395

Received: 20 April 2012 Accepted: 11 December 2012 Published: 21 February 2013

Citation: Ali Al-Salahi OS, Zaki A, Chan K, Shah AM, Al-Hassan F, Abdullah WZ, et al. In vitro Anti-proliferative and Apoptotic Activities of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Simaroubaceae) on HL-60 Cell Line. Trop J Pharm Res 2013; 12(1):57-61 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v12i1.10

© 2013 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the anti-proliferative, apoptotic and differentiating activities of Eurycoma longifolia root extracts on HL-60 leukemic cells.

Methods: HL-60 cells were treated with different partially purified sub-fractions (F1 – F3) derived from the resin chromatography of the crude methanol root extract of E. longifolia roots, at different doses and time points. The anti-proliferative activity of E. longifolia was assessed via cell counting and trypan blue exclusion. Apoptosis was evaluated via Annexin-V FITC/IP and Hoechst staining. Flow cytometry and Wright staining were used to assess its differentiation activities.

Results: F1 showed unremarkable growth inhibition rate while F2 and F3 showed growth inhibitory effects with median inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 15.2 and 28.6 µg/ml, respectively. Treatment with F2 and F3 (100 µg/ml) for 96 h increased cell death from 3.3 to 95.5 and 76.3 %, respectively. Treatment with F2 (50 µg/ml) induced apoptosis by 14, 19.5 and 25 % after 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. No differentiation activity was observed, as indicated by absence of myeloid maturation and a non-significant CD14 positivity (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: E. longifolia extract (F2) showed promising anti-leukemic activity and can be a candidate for the development of a drug for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

Keywords: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), HL-60 cells, Eurycoma longifolia, Apoptosis, Antiproliferation, Differentiation