Antiproliferative Activity of the Leaf Latex of Aloe secundiflora Engl. and its Major Constituents
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Date
2023-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Globally, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10.0 million cancer deaths
occurred in 2020. The various methods of treatment of cancer that can be employed alone or in
combination, depending upon different factors, are chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical
interventions. The currently available chemotherapeutic agents have severe toxicities and face
multiple drug resistance. This calls for researchers to look for safe and effective chemotherapeutic
agents from natural products. Thus, the antiproliferative efficacy of Aloe secundiflora, a plant
traditionally used to treat cancer, was evaluated. The antiproliferative activity of A. secundiflora
leaf latex was investigated against four cancer cell lines, breast (MCF-7), lung (A427), urinary
bladder (RT-4), and cervical (SiSo) using MTT assay. The latex possesses better antiproliferative
activity with an IC50 value of 15.3 μg/mL against the A427 cell line over the other three cell lines.
Phytochemical analysis of the latex using preparative thin layer chromatography resulted in the
isolation of two glycosides and the structure of these two glycosides were characterized as Aloenin
B and Aloeresin D using spectroscopic methods, and by comparison with reported spectroscopic
data. Aloenin B and Aloeresin D displayed antiproliferative activity against A-427 cell lines with
IC50 value of 3.2 and 5.5 μg/mL, respectively. The activity observed for the latex as well as
isolated compounds of A. secundiflora support the traditional use of the plant against cancer
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Keywords
Aloe secundiflora, aloenin B, aloeresin D, cancer cell line, MTT assay, antiproliferative