In vitro anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activity of methanolic extract from Sanchezia speciosa leaves

Sanchezia speciosa, is a bushy shrub from Acanthaceae family which commonly grows in tropical areas of South and Central America. In this study, we employed MTT assay to test the cytotoxicity of that methanolic fraction of S. speciosa leaves on MCF-7 human breast cancer, SK-MEL-5 human malignant melanoma and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, HUVEC cells. The extract showed highest activity on MCF-7 and moderate cytotoxicity towards SK-MEL-5. In contrast, the extract demonstrated lowest cell growth inhibition activity on HUVEC cells, indicating better selectivity compare to standard drug, doxorubicin. In addition, we also performed ORAC assay to determine the radical scavenging capacity of methanolic extract of S. speciosa leaves. The extract exhibited nearly similar anti-oxidant activity as quercetin, suggesting S. speciosa leaves as a potential source of natural anti-oxidant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on anti-oxidant and cytotoxic activity of S. speciosa.