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. 2017 Aug;14(2):95-107.
doi: 10.4274/tjps.07078. Epub 2017 Aug 15.

Assessment of Cytotoxicity Profiles of Different Phytochemicals: Comparison of Neutral Red and MTT Assays in Different Cells in Different Time Periods

Merve Bacanli  1 , Hatice Gül Anlar  1 , A Ahmet Başaran  2 , Nursen Başaran  1
Affiliations

Assessment of Cytotoxicity Profiles of Different Phytochemicals: Comparison of Neutral Red and MTT Assays in Different Cells in Different Time Periods

Merve Bacanli et al. Turk J Pharm Sci. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: Phenolic compounds exhibit several health protective properties. Galangin, curcumin, pycnogenol, puerarin and ursolic acid are commonly used plant phenolics in folk medicine. The aim of our study was to evaluate the difference between neutral red uptake (NRU) and MTT assays using different plant phenolics (galangin, curcumin, pycnogenol, puerarin and ursolic acid) in healthy and cancer cells in different time periods.

Materials and methods: In this study, the cytotoxic effects of these phenolic compounds were investigated by NRU and MTT assays in healthy (V79, Chinese hamster fibroblast cell line) and cancer [human cervix epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) and human mammary carcinoma cell line (BT-474)] in 18, 24 and 48 h incubation periods.

Results: Our results demonstrated that galangin, curcumin, pycnogenol, puerarin and ursolic acid decreased cell viability of V79, HeLa and BT-474 cells in a dose-dependent manner in 18, 24 and 48 h incubation periods. However, the cell survival rate was much lower in 48 h incubation period. There was no difference between the results from NRU and MTT assays.

Conclusion: To decide which incubation period and which cytotoxicity study to be used, the cytotoxicity mechanism of the compound must be known.

Keywords: MTT; neutral red; plant phenolics.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cytotoxic effects of a) galangin, b) curcumin, c) pycnogenol, d) puerarin and e) ursolic acid in V79 cells by neutral red uptake assay
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cytotoxic effects of, a) galangin, b) curcumin, c) pycnogenol, d) puerarin and e) ursolic acid in V79 cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide assay
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cytotoxic effects of a) galangin, b) curcumin, c) pycnogenol, d) puerarin and e) ursolic acid in HeLa cells by neutral red uptake assay
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cytotoxic effects of a) galangin, b) curcumin, c) pycnogenol, d) puerarin and e) ursolic acid in HeLa cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide assay
Figure 5
Figure 5
Cytotoxic effects of a) galangin, b) curcumin, c) pycnogenol, d) puerarin and e) ursolic acid in BT-474 cells by neutral red uptake assay
Figure 6
Figure 6
Cytotoxic effects of a) galangin, b) curcumin, c) pycnogenol, d) puerarin and e) ursolic acid in BT-474 cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide assay
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