Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Extracts from Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn.

Abstract

The antioxidant and anticancer activities of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. were investigated. The superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities were assayed by the electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique. Anticancer activity of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. extracts was tested by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay on gastric cancer cell line NCI-N87. Aqueous extracts of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. had higher superoxide radical (IC50 = 121.4 μg/mL) and hydroxyl radical (IC₅₀ = 1.13 mg/mL) scavenging activity than methanol and ethanol extracts. The cytotoxicity of each extracts showed strong anticancer activity, especially ethanol (56.3 %) and methanol (53.6 %) extracts. Present results show that Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. extracts has antioxidant and anticancer activities.