SELECTIVE CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF Anredera cordifolia LEAVES EXTRACT TOWARDS HELA CELLS

Cervical cancer is second rank cancer in female cancer incidence all over the world and the strategy therapy against this disease is addressing cancer cells without endanger normal cells. Discovering potentially selective anticancer agent from plants for the treatment of cervical cancer has become a very challenging area of research worldwide. Our previous study Anredera cordifolia , commonly named as binahong in Indonesia, revealed cytotoxic activity on HeLa cervical cancer cells with IC 50 75 µg/mL. However, the selectivity of the chemical agent and its molecular target has still remained a question. The current study was aimed at investigating the selectivity of ethanolic extract of A. cordifolia leaf (EAC) on Vero cells and its molecular target on HeLa cells. The extracts were prepared by macerating Anredera cordifolia leaf powder in 70% ethanol. The assessment of the viability of Vero cells was carried out using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay; while the cell cycle analysis of HeLa cells was probed by using flow cytometry. Based on the cell cycle analysis, the molecular target of the extract was investigated by immunocytochemical staining. The present study exhibited the selective cytotoxicity of EAC on HeLa cells compared to Vero cells with a Selectivity Index (SI) of 17.36. It arrested cell cycle on G1/S phase and suppressed Bcl–2 expression, anti-apoptotic protein, which also regulates cell cycle. Therefore, the current piece of work endorses the use of EAC as a promising anticancer agent in the treatment of cervical cancer. EAC may be used as a selective anticancer agent on HeLa cells.