Anti carcinogenic activity of Methanolic Extract of Balanites aegyptiaca against breast, colon, and liver cancer cells.

Balanites aegyptiaca is a widely distributed African plant of medicinal interest containing a number of cytotoxic and cytostatic compounds. The studies reported here have attempted to further characterize the anticancer activity. The current study has further indicated that its antiproliferative effects by inducing apoptotic cell death. To study the anticarcinogenic activity of Balanites aegyptiaca in MCF-7 (Human breast cancer cell line), HePG-2(human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line), and HCT 116(colon carcinoma cell line). Balanites aegyptiaca extracts were prepared by Soxhlet extraction method using methanol as a solvent. The cytotoxicity activity of the plant extracts were determined using sulphodiamine-B assay (SRB assay), Detremenation of proteins in cancer cells line by SDS polyacylamide gel electrophoresis, DNA fragmentation induced by the plant extracts was evaluated through DNA extraction using agarose gel electrophoresis. RNA extraction to evaluate the expression of genes P53 and Bax genes using Semi-quantitave RT-PCR analysis. Results & Discussion: SRB assay results showed that MCF7 cells were inhibited by all the extracts with IC50 2.3±.03 while IC50 of HEPG-2 is 12.0±.01and IC50 of HCT116 is 69.3±.1?g/ml. SDS polyacylamide gel electrophoresis showed clear variation between different classes of treated and nontreated cancer cells. DNA extracted from treated cells showed fragmentation of the DNA was observed between treated and non treated (control) cancer cells suggesting the occurrence of apoptosis. RT-PCR analysis showed increase in expression of genes P53 and Bax genes.