Comparative study between in vivo- and in vitro-derived extracts of cactus (Opuntis ficus-indica L. Mill) against prostate and mammary cancer cell lines

Abstract

Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill cladodes are considered to be a source of an abundance of bioactive compounds. To identify a natural product that can be used in the chemoprevention and treatment of cancer, this study was conducted to produce an anticancer agent extracted from in vitro-derived cladodes of prickly pear cactus. Toward this goal, assays of seed germination and micropropagation revealed that the highest seed germination rate was 66% and that the highest shoot number per explant was obtained with benzyl adenine (BA) (2 mg/l) and kinetin (Kin) (1 mg/l) within 2 months, at 22.6. In addition, the maximum length of shoots was obtained with BA (3 mg/l) and Kin (0.5 mg/l), at 7.44 cm. The in vitro-derived cladode extract showed higher total phenolic and kaempferol contents than the in vivo-derived cladode extract (total phenolics 156.5 mg/g and 86 mg/g DW; kaempferol 2.807 mg/g and 1.304 mg/g DW, respectively). These remarkable results reflected the anticancer activity on the viability and proliferation/migration of PC3 prostate and mammary Mcf7-7 cells. In terms of cytotoxicity, the IC50 values on PC3 and Mcf7 cells were 5775.7 and 6311.3 μg/ml, respectively, showing dose-dependent increases. Meanwhile, from in vivo analyses of the plants, the IC50 values were 5927.93 and 6825.6 μg/ml, respectively, again showing dose-dependent increases.

Keywords: Anticancer activity; Cladode extract; Mcf7; Micropropagtion; Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill; PC3; kaempferol.

Figure 1

Germination%rates of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill seeds germinated with different treatments.

Figure 2

Germination % of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill seeds germinated on media containing different concentrations of GA₃.

Figure 3

Effects of different treatments of BA (B1: 1 mg/L, B2: 2 mg/L, B3: 3 mg/L) and Kin (K1: 0.5 mg/L, K2: 1 mg/L, K3 1.5 mg/L, K4: 2 mg/L) on (A) multiplication rate (number of shoots) and (B) shoot length of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill explanted on MS medium.

Figure 4

Different stages of in vitro micropropagation of Egyptian Opuntia ficus-indica. A, seedling under culture conditions; B, germinated shoots used as secondary explants for multiplication; C, micropropagation of explants on MS medium with 5 mg/L BA alone; D, maximum number of shoots of micropropagated explants on MS medium with 2 mg/L BA and 1 mg/L Kin; E, maximum number of shoots on MS medium with 2 mg/L BA and 1 mg/L Kin after 2 months; F, maximum length of shoots on MS medium with 3 mg/L BA and 0.5 mg/L Kin.

Figure 5

Total phenolic content (A) and kaempferol content (B) in micropropagated plants compared with those of control plants.

Figure 6

Effect of various concentrations of in vitro (sample 1) and in vivo (sample 2) Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill cladode extracts on viability and proliferation/migration of PC3 cells.

Figure 7

Effect of various concentrations of in vitro (sample 1) and in vivo (sample 2) Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill cladode extracts on viability and proliferation/migration of Mcf7 cells.