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 and 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: E-mail: narazah@amdi.usm.edu.my
Tel:
+604-5622395, +6019-9389958; Fax: +604-5622349
Received: 20 April
2012
Revised accepted:
11 December 2012
Tropical
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, February 2013;
12(1): 57-61
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i1.10
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.
